The Haunting of Mashiro WindBloom
by Captain Vulcan
Summary: Mai Otome AU fiction. Can a visit from three royal spirits convince a conceited princess to change her ways? Mashiro, here's looking at you,kid.
1. Impending Doom

Hey, it's me again. This is just something loopy I just so happen to have on my mind and I decided I should apply it to physical form. So... do not take this fic seriously. If you find yourself busting a gut laughing then that's pretty much the point of all this. In the meantime, I'll be working extra hard on Private Investigator Suzushiro.

All in all, this is generally a Mai Otome fan work. It's AU because I have yet to see all of the show. I'm still on episode three so please don't knock me off that tightrope yet.

**DISCLAIMER: **This is just a work of fiction. The creators should be flattered. Now if it were up to me, a certain cherry eyed brunette with a body made for sin would be at least a bisexual... Gracious. But hey, there isn't any shame in my game.

This story is rated T. Contents here are mild and contains language, alcoholic and drug use and a tad dab of sexual content. Oh, I almost forgot: Watch out for Princess Mashiro and especially Aoi Senou. If you thought Sister Yukariko was a religious zealot-- this girl Aoi will... just go on ahead and you'll see.

**THE HAUNTING OF PRINCESS WINDBLOOM **

**CHAPTER ONE**

**IMPEDING DOOM**

"'This porridge is too hot', exclaimed Little Red", Nina Wang read from the huge book entitled 'Countless Children's Tales To Knock Out A Spoiled Ruler'. "'Oh my! This porridge is too cold'".

"I heard enough, Nina." Mashiro rose from her bed. "I can't stand that story."

Nina persisted, "Your Highness, it's past your bedtime."

"What do I look like to you, a little kid?" The princess snapped a glare at Nina. Nina wanted to say 'Well... duh' but she knew if she told the little witch that then there will be consequences. "Early bedtimes are for wimpy kids that still piss in their beds."

Nina sighed as she closed the giant storybook. "But your Highness, we all know that you're only the princess of WindBloom..." she tried to explained but Mashiro cut her off with a gesture of her raised right hand.

"Princess. Queen. It's the same difference: I rule!" Mashiro spat and hopped off her royal bed and slipped into her Garfield slippers. "But not to worry. It's only a matter of time before my ailing mother will kick the bucket. And when that time comes I will show this kingdom a real ruler."

_Ain't that a bitch? _Nina thought. "Well Your Highness, I guess there is no need to try to help you fall asleep this evening. I shall return to the royal court." She bowed and heads her way out the huge room. The princess suddenly stopped her.

"Nina, I'm kind of hungry." The princess patted her virtually nonexistent tummy. "Could you inform Mai and the others to whipped me up something to eat." A gleam came to her eyes as she licked her lips. "To be more specific, tell em' to make me a gigantic devil cake."

_How fitting. Just the kind of food a little demon child like yourself would crave._ Nina nodded with a hidden smirk. "As you wish, Your Highness. I'll see to it right away."

When the raven haired jester departed from the royal bedchamber, a fan favorite entered the room. "Ah, could it be Her Majesty is suffering another case of insomnia?" Shizuru is the foster daughter of Queen WindBloom and Mashiro's consul. She was also the princess' counsel and council (English, is definitely one of the hardest languages to learn, huh?). Twelve years older than Mashiro, she was a helping hand in raising the princess. Although, I don't see where in the world she got her patience from.

Mashiro made a face at the sound of the charming voice. "Call it whatever you want to call it, Shizuru, but I just cannot fall asleep at this hour." She complained and opened the royal drapes. The sun was still bright over the horizon. "It's still way too early. Damn it all! I just can't wait to be Queen."

Shizuru's face creased in thought, her eyebrows turning into checkmarks. "Surely you're not counting on Mama's premature death are you not?"

Mashiro mad the face of a pit bulldog. "Premature? The fuck are you talking about? She's fifty seven for Pete's sake." The vain princess glared at her big sister like she should have known better. "There's nothing premature about her! She's an old bat."

Shizuru nodded her head with a sigh, empathetic. "I can't believe that you still harbor such feelings for Mama." She said sadly. "You should be ashamed of yourself."

"I have nothing to be ashamed of." The princess retorted. "I'm soon to reign over the kingdom. I'm going to be the daughter of a bastard that my old lady wasn't. When that time comes... don't you dare try to stop me Shizuru."

At that moment, a castle maid just so happened to bypass the open doors of the bedchamber. She was immersed in an ancient book. A little _too _immersed. "Goodness gracious!" She exclaimed.

A burlesque bead of sweat appeared on the heads of both the princess and her sister. "What's with Aoi? Is that girl on E again?" Mashiro wondered.

"I'm not sure," Shizuru replied. "That must be one well written novel she's reading." Her face then turned serious as she regarded the subject again. "I am certain that whatever you have planned for the future of this kingdom..." she trailed off, troubled. "Mama and I surely disapprove."

"I don't give a damn." Mashiro grinned cruelly. "She won't be around to do so."

"You've always been bitter towards Mama." Shizuru lamented. "To this very day, I cannot understand why. I wondered where all the hostility comes from. Your Majesty, you should be happy that you even know your mother."

"Eh?" Mashiro seemed interested despite the fact her sister was relaying something she should keep buried in the past. "What are you so soft about ole M & M eyes?"

"I have never seen her before in my life but I know that she is wrong for abandoning her only child." Shizuru had a pained, distant look in her eyes. "I've been a vagabond since I was a newborn child. I was going mad, Mashiro. You just don't know what it's like."

"Go on." The fourteen year old shrugged.

"I was on the brink of hating everything about the world," Shizuru continued. "It seemed like I was living just to die. Despair was my only companion. Until that day..."

"I'm moved." Mashiro remarked sarcastically. "Really, I am."

"She saved me, Mashiro. If it weren't for Mama... I... I..."

"You would either be a harlot on the streets or taking a dirt nap by now." The princess took the older female for granted. "Isn't that rich?"

Shizuru gasped at the princess for her harsh words. However, she did not go into a rage despite what the grape haired girl had said. The brunette's face was surprisingly serene and the next thing the princess knew, Shizuru did what the only person in the world besides her mother was authorized to do when the princess gets out of hand. There's a first time for everything.

Shizuru slapped her.

Quite soundly at that.

Aoi's voice was heard throughout the royal hall. "Hallelujah!"

Mashiro was shocked beyond belief. The girl had this expression on her face that reminds you of a cat's expression when you caught it doing what ever it has no business doing. Or worse, it makes you think of that Wrath kid from Full Metal Alchemist when the seven shades of shit are scared out of him. Not only was the slap loud, it even stunned her. There was also a large pink outline of Shizuru's right hand on her face. "Shizuru?..."

Shizuru was still tranquil, almost angelic. "Your Majesty, you must let go of your anger before it leads you to your own destruction." She advised her. "Nothing good can come out of hatred."

"Shizuru... How dare you?" The princess' voice was barely a whisper.

"Please Mashiro, compose yourself before it's too late." Shizuru pleaded.

"HOW DARE YOU!" In a fit of vehemence, she retaliated by delivering her older sister a thorough left punch to the brunette's abdomen. Shizuru gasped as the wind was knocked out of her and she doubled forward over the princess' fist and her face fell on the girl's shoulder. Her brown bangs shadowed her eyes and a rather sardonic smirk made it's way to her lips. "What's so funny?" Mashiro snarled.

Shizuru held that smile despite her pain. "I guess we could call it even now." She uttered with a slight wheeze. "I deserved that. As you deserved yours."

"Why you..." Mashiro was annoyed at how strong the brunette was. "I'll give you what you really deserve once I become Queen." She promised with a wicked gleam in her eyes. "When that old bat of woman that I call my mother kicks the bucket I will PERSONALLY see to it that I throw you back on the mean slums of the kingdom."

Shizuru was still leaning on Mashiro's shoulder. The little tyke was certainly stronger than she looked. "Oh... Is-- is that so?" She chuckled. "You're are planning on disowning me?"

"You bet your sweet bubble ass I will." Mashiro retorted. "Better yet, I'm going to put you to work while you're out there. It's my new marketing strategy to get the tax money much quicker. You're going to serve and pleasure the thousands of men out there that solely wish that you were a straight woman-- fulfilling their every desire. Namely their carnal desires because there isn't much of what a man wants. Since you're every hot blooded heterosexual male's ultimate wet dream, I'm going to help them out and make their dreams a reality."

"I-- I'd rather die..."

"Death, huh?" The princess considered what she said and pushed her off her shoulder. "You pull that little stunt off again and I'll see to it that I will grant it to you."

Shizuru was on her back, gazing at the ceiling from the marble floor. "Very well then... I've tried. It was Mama's request to try to save you from yourself."

The princess was about to leave the room but she heard her older sister muttering. "What did you just say?" She demanded. She was itching to kick her with the Garfield slippers on.

"If that's your decision, you go on right ahead and walk that path," Shizuru continued. "What's the use for trying to save a imprudent ruler that's heading straight towards her dishonorable demise? Mama's going to leave this world a highly disenchanted and despondent woman."

The princess was offended. "That's enough out of you! Screw you and your big words! Say another word and I'll beat you to a pulp with these slippers! Why should I care? Why should I give a damn about the opinions of 'a rightful heir to the throne'? Why should I?"

Shizuru sat up on the floor and stared at the princess right in her eyes. "I disgust you that much, huh?"

"Go to hell..." Mshiro spun on her heels and left the room before she decided to kill the brunette right there in her room.

As she left the room, Aoi was shouting again. "Whoa! Praise the Lord!"

"Aoi, give it a rest!" The princess demanded.

**THE HAUNTING OF MASHIRO WINDBLOOM**

"It's not right." Nina relayed to the two cooks that were strolling the gigantic devil cake towards the throne room. "How could that girl be so damn cruel?"

"I can't call it," Mai replied with a shrug. "I guess that she's under a lot of pressure. Being a future Queen of an entire nation can open up a whole new world of stress on you."

Nina clearly couldn't believe what the shapely ginger haired girl had just said. "Mai, are you kidding me? That girl got issues. Stress don't have nothing to do with her. That girl is counting on her mom to die. That's not right."

"What? Are you serious?" Akane wondered.

"Does a bear shit in the woods?" Nina remarked, waiting for the older girl to relay an all too obvious answer.

"Whoa." Mai was amazed that the seemingly innocent princess would harbor such thoughts "The princess is a regular magazine subscription then."

"And that's not all. Not only is she anticipating the passing of the Queen, this chick has something else in store for the kingdom..." Nina's face was creased with worry. "The girl has tyranny on her mind. If that's not alarming to you then I don't know what is."

"Really?" Mai seemed appalled. "That does it. We're going to have to put a hit out on her treacherous behind. If she wants the play dirty then the whole kingdom can play this little game too."

"Mai!" Akane gasped in shock. "How could you consider such an idea?"

"I don't blame Mai." Nina agreed with the second oldest of the three. "I was seriously contemplating on poisoning this cake just now."

"Man, you guys are impossible!" Akane still couldn't believe the gall of her younger friends. "You guys are just as bad as the princess if you were to kill her off. Wouldn't you want that on your conscience?"

Nina sighed. "Akane, to be honest... if truth be told... to keep it real, nobody in this entire kingdom would hardly miss her."

Mai sighed. "Okay, I know it is wrong to hope for someone to suffer from misfortune and it is equally so to count on their demise but tyranny is something else. Nina's right, Akane. With a Queen like that, who needs dictators? I mean, that girl always has been a meanie." Mai revealed. "Months ago, she said this nasty joke about the royal kitchen is never going to run out of milk with me around." To her surprise, Akane and Nina began snickering a little. "Hey!"

"Well you guys don't have to conspire to her death then." Akane urged her younger companions to reconsider such a macabre plan. "We must convince the princess to change her ways. It's either that or the royal doctors' going to have to pep it up a little bit to rid the Queen of her illness."

Aoi rounded the corner into the corridor the girls were in. The baby-faced brunette was still hooked on that mysterious book. When she passed the girls catering to the cake she yelled, "He didn't have to do it but He did!"

"Once she's done with that book, I gotta ask her to let me borrow it someday." Akane seriously wondered. Several burlesque question marks were hovering above her head.

"That is one fascinating novel," Mai whistled.

"Excuse me, I couldn't help but notice that you guys are talking about the princess." Shizuru stated as she appeared from the throne room up ahead. She was clutching her abdomen. "We had our little dispute and I do have to say that she is really out of control."

"This is all very bad news." Akane hung her head low. "What's gotten into her?"

"No." Shizuru nodded. "Mashiro's animosity towards her mother is nothing new." That came as a surprise to Mai and Akane. "She's been holding back the hatred towards the Queen for years."

"I don't believe this." Akane said.

"That's a real shame," Mai nodded in sympathy. "Where is she now, Shizuru?"

"She's in the throne room awaiting this cake you guys just baked." Shizuru replied. "Plus..." Shizuru had a Machiavellian expression on her face, "she's smoking the royal hash."

Nina's eyes widened instantly. "What? The Princess is in there chiefin' it up? She's going to have the munchies faster than a housecat can scratch it's ass." After saying that little number, the raven haired devil's face lit up and a large light bulb appeared over her head.

Mai noticed the peculiar look on the jester's face. There was conspiracy written all across her face. "I always wonder what in the world is going through her head when she makes that face."

"Ah ha ha!" Nina laughed, confident that her plan was foolproof. "I got it! I got it just like how the guard in the cellar got the claps from Erstin Ho."

"Nina, this is not the time for jokes." Mai said with a raised brow along with Akane and Shizuru. Then a question came to mind. "Hold on. Did that guy really got the claps from Erstin? I thought it was Juliet. Heck, I didn't even knew that he had caught anything."

"Hold on to that cake, guys." Nina advised as she rushed down the opposite direction of the hallway. "I'm going to add a very special ingredient to the cake. I'll be right back."

Mai sighed. "There is going to be a very interesting turn of events."

**THE HAUNTING OF MASHIRO WINDBLOOM **

Meanwhile inside the throne room, our lovable princess has already made requests for entertainment while she was awaiting her chocolate treat. With her eyes red from smoking and ribs aching from laughing so hard at Arika's jokes, the princess surely was enjoying herself. Erstin was standing right beside the throne, being her usual air headed self.

"Whoa!" The Princess swooned in her throne. "I gotta learn to leave this Fuuka hay alone. This hash is going to be the death of me."

Erstin held out a small solid gold ashtray for the princess to litter with butts. "You shouldn't say such things, Your Highness." The blonde chirped. "You are illustrious."

Mashiro rolled her reddened eyes, "Kiss my butt," she told the blonde. "Wait a minute? That's what I pay you for! Because you're my servant! Ha ha ha!"

Erstin blushed, "Good one, Your Majesty."

The Princess rose a brow. "What? This?" She promptly leaned a bit in her throne, tilted her backside upwards and blew ass.

**BB**WW_RRR_GG**HH_FFF!_**

"YEA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"

Erstin could only giggle helplessly, "Tee he..."

_You are so damn nasty, _thought Arika as she cupped a hand over her nose. She was another one of the Princess' royal jesters. And like most of the other servants inside WindBloom Castle she straight hated the Princess' guts since she have been acting 'brand new'. _I hope for heaven's sakes that your mother will recover from her sickness. She's going to knock a lot of sense into your fruity head if she ever returns to her throne!_

Mashiro farted again. A quick one this time.

**B**A**_AINNTT!_**

"GAH HA HA HA HEH HEH HE!"

"Oh, for the love of-- can we just get back to the jokes?" Arika snapped. "Now guess who am I impersonating." She began mimicking 'Juliet' "Hi there big boys," she struck a pose. "Look at me, I'm a pseudo hooker. I'm a myspace whore and I send lewd text messages to lure unsuspecting blue-balls to their own destruction." She blew a kiss and pretended to walk on sultry high heels. "Who am I?"

Erstin took a wild guess. "Jessica Simpson?"

"No-- Beyonce. Nah uh. It's gotta be Paris Hilton-- no, one of those ring side tramps from pay-per-view wrestling?" Mashiro seconded.

Arika turned it up a notch. "I often claim that I never had sex with any of my victims but my closest peers wonder if that's really true."

Mashiro hopped off her chair. "I know! I know! I seen her before! You're talking about Nao, aren't cha?"

"Bingo!"

Erstin pouted cutely. "Aww, I suck at this game."

"Okay, how about this one." Arika began jogging and hopping around the throne room markedly. "Aw man, I have a princess to rescue. Boing! Boing!" She made her way to a large green pipe in the corner of the room and hopped into it and ended up dropping from the pipe in the ceiling. "Wow! I hope that was the warp pipe that leads to World 8."

Erstin was perplex. Nothing new. "Uh... Orlando Bloom?"

"No no no!" Mashiro nodded furiously, getting an idea of who it was. "It's the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles."

"Martin Lawrence?" Erstin piped up.

"No, it's Christian Bale?" Mashiro wondered.

Arika tried harder, "I am going to the darkness and vanquish that fiend." She said with a super hero's voice.

"Ah! Yukari Tanizaki! Adam Sandler? Uh-- wait a minute... Inuyasha?" Erstin hoped.

"It's one of those vampire hunters, the Belmonts." Mashiro guessed. "I don't know which one though. Uh... Simon? Ricther? Trevor..." She frowned in deep concentration. "Uh... George W?"

"No! Let me give you guys another hint..." Arika began looking around the room as if she was trying to find something. "Hey, there goes a mushroom." CHOMP! "Aw man, that mushroom was something else. I'm so high I feel like I'm seven feet tall. Whoa!"

The two moron were just beginning to get the picture.

"Ooh! Look! There goes some fire weed to give me fire powers!" Arika continued her charade. "Holy shit! That stardust will make you feel like you're invincible for a while!" The brunette started ninja somersaulting around the place humming the Starman theme. "Who am I?"

"Ah! You're George Lopez! No, you're Ed Elric!" Erstin answered with absolute certainty before receiving a slap in the face by Mashiro. "Owiee! Why did you do that for?"

"No it's not you royal dunce! I recognize that theme anywhere. It's Super Mario!" Mashiro confirmed.

"It's about freaking time..." Arika sighed. "Now, here comes a hard one. Get ready for some brain pain you two."

"Bring it on." Mashiro said, enjoying a challenge.

Arika undid her hair, allowing it to spread across her back. "Ooh... I am the future. I promise you trouble, ridiculous taxes, war, famine, and death! I shall lead the world to a new age of darkness! Whooooooo! Fear me!"

Erstin grew terrified. "Yah!" She hid behind the throne.

The Princess cupped her chin in thought. She was sure that her jester was referring to Count Dracula, or worse, the devil himself. "Shit, this is hard."

Steeling her resolve, the flaxen haired jester peeked her head from behind Mashiro. "Hey, I know! You're the Princess, right?"

Erstin answered the riddle right on. That's definitely what Arika had in mind. However... an evil presence was now among the room and Arika feared for Erstin's life. There was a huge vein on the Princess' forehead and there were things on each of her temples that looked a lot like devil horns. "Oh boy..." Arika whimpered.

Maybe she should have stuck with impersonating King Bowser? Or George Bush?

The purple haired devil turned her head a full circle to glare at the now doomed Erstin. "What did you just say, you measly little bitch?" Her voice was demonic and her tongue greatly resembled that of a serpent. "Your mouth is writing a check that your ass cannot hope to check."

"If you could excuse me, I'll be heading for the mountains now." Arika trembled.

Erstin only giggled, oblivious to her own doom. "Tee he. That was a good one. Arika was impersonating you, Your Majesty. That was funny!"

Arika was scared witless and now the blonde could comprehend what the expression on her fellow jester's face meant. "Oh right! I wasn't suppose to say that!" She giggled and turned her attention back to the Princess and discovered that she had brandished a gigantic 300 pound steel sledgehammer seemingly out of nowhere. "D'oh! Your Majesty! Please forgive me! I didn't--"

**BAM!**

"Ughh..." The blonde slithered to an unconscious heap on the marble floor.

The hellion of a Princess then regarded Arika. "Now then, would you like to share anymore jokes with us this evening?" She queried, still using a demon's voice.

Arika fainted.

Arika, fortunately was blessed by divine intervention and her life was spared because the cake has finally arrived. Mai and Akane strolled the giant dessert in the room timidly. Shizuru entered the room and eyed her younger sister with sincere sympathy. Nina entered the fray with a proud, wicked smirk like she knew something no one else in the whole world doesn't know.

Mai stepped forward and present the cake. "Here you go, Highness: One triple dipped chocolate devil cake with extra morsels of Hershey bars. Just the way you like it."

In an instant, the tyrannical she-devil transformed into an adorable grape haired angel with a massive sweet tooth. "Ooh! Wowie! Cake! Yahoo!" The little tyke climbed on the top of her throne as though it was a diving board and literally dived headfirst into the chocolate cake.

"I guess our work here is done," Akane sighed. She lifted Arika and Erstin and laid them upon both her shoulders. "That cake should hold her off for a while." They headed out of the throne room.

"By the way, Nina, what did you put inside that cake?" Mai wondered.

"Yes, please do enlighten us, Nina-chan." Shizuru nodded.

There was a mischievous look on the raven haired girl's face. "Let's just say that the kingdom now has a ghost of a chance in remaining prosperous."

In all honesty, Nina's words chilled the girls to the core.

**END OF CHAPTER ONE**

**NEXT EPISODE**

Mai: "Dang! I didn't know that you were a sorceress, Nina? How spooky is that?"

Nina: "I beg your pardon. I'm sort of a ghost summoner. Don't get it twisted."

Akane: "Wow. You called ghosts from the astral plane? This doesn't look good..."

Mai: "Sorceress, summoner... same difference. Akane, you believe in ghosts of all people?"

Akane: "Yes, I do. And it's high time I step out this castle for a while."

Nina: "Hey, don't worry. They're cool ghosts. They're the ghosts of time, not wandering spirits or demons."

Mai: "Wait a minute? This is sort of like a Christmas Carole?"

Nina: "You've guessed it. Now sit back and watch."


	2. The Spirit of Royalty Past

Man it's getting cold...

**MAI OTOME**

**THE HAUNTING OF PRINCESS WINDBLOOM**

**CHAPTER TWO**

**THE GHOST OF ROYALTY PAST**

"Arika-chan..."

The brown haired adolescent with the unique hairstyle responded groggily. "Hmm... ugh... huh?"

"Hey look, she's coming around." Said another voice.

Arika regained consciousness but her sight wasn't quite clear yet, "Ugh... what happened?" She asked the blurry figures surrounding her. "Where am I?"

She heard a mischievous chuckle. "Cold water!"

_Huh? Cold water?_

**SPLASH!**

Arika nearly flew through the roof with a piercing shriek. "YAH!!"

"Aw," Akane had an apologetic look on her face, "That wasn't very nice of you, Nina."

"Oh, what the hell?" The raven haired jester grinned. "It was funny to me."

Arika hopped from the ground and grabbed Nina by the collar. "Nina, why did you do that for? I could have gotten pneumonia for Pete's sake!"

"Chill. I was just trying to help you wake up, that's all." Nina remarked, still chuckling like a hyena. "Girl, you've been out for a little over a hour."

Arika scratched her head in confusion. "I was?"

"Yes. It's seems that my baby sister has really laid a number onto you two." Shizuru commented as she entered the room with a unconscious Erstin in her arms. She laid the blonde girl on a couch. "It must have been another one of her little tantrums again."

Arika's brows became checkmarks. "Well damn..."

"Arika, do you remember anything before the Princess blacked you out?" Mai queried while she was stirring some sort of stew on a giant pot at a fireplace. Whatever she was cooking, it smelled really delicious. The ginger haired girl was a natural in culinary expertise.

Arika browsed in the recesses of her mind for a recent memory. "Well... I did remember the Princess taking out a huge sledgehammer and brained Ho-chan with it. And then..." Her eyes suddenly widened in horror. "The Princess transformed and scared the living daylights out of me!"

"My, I guess that was terrifying," said Shizuru, sipping on a mug of hot tea.

"Jeez, that girl is becoming a real problem." Mai pouted before regarding Nina. "Hey, Little Miss Mastermind, what did you had planned for the Princess?"

"Oh, it's nothing special." Nina replied. She earned peculiar looks as the others noticed that she was carrying a can of whipped cream. With a face splitting grin, she squirt some of the whip cream on Erstin's outstretched hands while she was still asleep on the couch. "Heh heh heh..."

"Nina!" Akane scolded.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Arika wondered with a giant bead of sweat hovering besides her head.

"Shhh," she shushed the other girls and plucked a feather from an old caged parrot. "Forgive me, Kuro."

**WWAARK!**

Mai was tense with concern. "Nina, I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"You reap what you sow, I guess." Shizuru commented, compelled to watch the scene the jester was about to make.

"Now watch..." Nina began tickling Erstin's nose with the feather.

"Grrrhh... ma... ma... Mommy, I don't (snort) wanna go to-- (sniff) school today." Erstin was talking in her sleep and the feather presented a disturbance. "The other... girls are jealous... (cough) my boobs are growing-- (hack) bigger than theirs..."

"You're going to hell, you know that?" Mai commented.

"Oh well," Nina shrugged. "Everyone can mold their future. Now without further ado..." She resumed tickling the blonde girl with the feather.

Erstin mumbled again. "Hmm! Stop it..."

**SLAP!**

Or to be more specific...

**SPLAT!**

Nina tumbled to the floor in laughter. "Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

Akane nodded sympathetically. "You're so cruel Nina-chan."

"Ugh. That girl is twisted." Mai commented and resumed brewing the broth.

"Huh?" Erstin looks around her surroundings in befuddlement, "What is this white stuff on my face?"

Nina paused in her mirth. "Eh? You should be used to the 'white stuff' being on your face. Ha ha ha!"

"Nina!" Arika yelled.

"What?" The dark haired imp asked innocently.

"You're so nasty with the jokes!" Arika scolded.

Erstin dipped some of the stuff with her index finger and tasted it. "Um! This is whipped cream! Delicious!" The blonde chirped happily. "It's a thousand times better than that other white stuff. Tee he."

Time stood still and the girls gave the blonde scandalized stares. Collective beads of sweat appeared hovering besides their heads. That girl was definitely a trip sometimes.

Erstin continued, "I mean, Vanilla ice creme is pretty tasty too but it only makes you fat in the backside." She patted hers for emphasis. "That's why I prefer this stuff over it."

All the girls sighed in relief. Arika however, cast a dubious gaze at the blonde.

Arika shattered the uncomfortable silence. "Where are we?"

"A cabin up in the mountains outside of the city." Nina answered. "This is the place where I work my magic." She announced with a victory sign. "The Princess is going to get the help that she solely deserves. I'm such a genius."

"Interesting," Shizuru spoke in a delighted tone. "You're summoning ghosts, correct?"

Akane gasped, frightened. "Gh-ghost?"

Mai damn near burned her hand over the cauldron. "What? So that's what you meant by saying 'the kingdom now has a ghost of a chance in remaining prosperous.'" She exclaimed.

"Yeah, I literally mean it." Nina chuckled.

"You're weird," Arika said.

"You're crazy." Mai nodded.

"You're scaring me!" Akane yelped.

"You're a witch or something?" Erstin wondered.

"I'm saving all our asses from that tyrannical midget!" Nina retorted. "It's a dirty job but somebody's gotta do it!"

"Ara," Shizuru said cutely. "This is such an interesting turn of events."

"What's that got to do with whatever you put into that royal cake?" Mai actually didn't see how any of this add up. "You're getting weirder by the minute."

"But why do it has to be ghosts of all things?" Akane shivered.

"These guys are going to help Her Majesty change her ways." Nina revealed. "You know, the classic case of three spirits visiting the well known rich, arrogant asshole that has a little too much power and money on them. The spirits will show the Princess her past, present, and likely horrible future. Hopefully, this will all scare the living shit out of out dear ruler and she will finally change."

"Ah, I was reading the Christmas Carole the other day." Said Erstin gleefully.

"Oh... kay, this plan of yours does sound sort of cliche, but it may actually work." Arika stated with a semblance of hope. She surely didn't want Mashiro to turn into a demon on her ass again. Talk about being traumatized...

"Well that's all well and good but what's up with that 'secret' cake ingredient?" Mai wondered. She really wanted to know what could she possibly put in the cake to summon spirits.

"It's elementary, my dear Tokiha," Nina responded matter-of-factly. "Ghosts are known to be somewhat gaseous in nature. What I put in the cake was a _very _special piece of Hershey's candy. When that morsel of chocolate goodness gets deep into her system, the Princess is going to have a _very _special case of gastric disorder."

Erstin's face instantly creased in disgust. "Eww!"

"That's kind of gross." Said Mai, her appetite diminished somewhat.

"Yeah. If you ask me, the ghosts are going to flee once they smell that awful scent." Said Arika succinctly.

"No, not the farting kind of gas that everyone's well aware of," Nina defended her theory. "This kind of gas will get the spirits attention and ultimately lure them."

Akane prompted to ask a very important question. "Uh Nina, I know that you're on a roll, but are you sure that this is safe? You surely don't want to summon, well... I don't know-- evil spirits? You know the big bad denizens of the netherworld? And if you thought that the Princess was frightening..."

"I got it covered," Nina reassured with a peace sign. "But there's just one little itsy-bitsy thing..."

All the girls in the cabin closed in on her. Even Shizuru. "What's that?"

Nina prodded her fingers sheepishly as an extremely cute expression made it's way to her face. "About the three spirits... well... the one that..."

"Spit it out, you idiot!" Arika spat.

"The third spirit..." she hesitated. "Is pretty much evil. Pure evil."

"I don't want nothing to do with this!" Akane screeched, terrified.

Mai was scared too. "Have you summoned these guys already, Nina?"

"Uh... I did." She grabbed a huge book from a nearby table. "See?"

Mai read the title, "'The Obsidian Lord's Book of Necromancy and Spirit Manipulation'. Oh boy..."

Arika cringed. "We're really in some deep water now."

"Well, it looks like someone's going to have to go to the marketplace and buy some charms to ward away evil spirits." Shizuru considered in a calm voice. "Who knows what that last spirit is going to do once it enters this plane of existence."

"And we must find some quick before the spirit's turn." Akane suggested, fearing the worse.

Nina prodded her chin in thought. "I got it!" She exclaimed, earning hopeful glances from her older peers, especially Akane. "I know a gypsy that lives in the village that may have some. With her help, worrying about the third spirit should be a thing of the past."

Mai sighed. "I hope you're right."

**THE HAUNTING OF PRINCESS WINDBLOOM**

"Your Highness, I'm afraid that your mother's condition is getting worse." Yoko relayed. "I've never in my career encountered a illness like hers. It's highly doubtful that she will make it through this." She wrote her analysis on a clipboard in worry. "I can only pray for her."

Mashiro seemed thoughtful, looking quite chic in a flowing royal blue dress with gold trimming on the edges of it. _Good. So that means that Death is going to answer that door anytime now._ "How long do you think that she will last?"

_Where did that came from? _"I'm not sure." Yoko revealed. "It's a miracle that she is still alive. And it will take an ever bigger miracle for her to recover." _Oh, Your Highness... things look terribly bleak right now. I don't know... but it seems like your daughter is anticipating your demise._

"Well, she has been bedridden for nearly a year now, one could only expect worse." Mashiro said coolly.

The royal nurse gasped. "I beg your pardon?"

"That is so like her," Mashiro continued. "Even in the face of Death that woman is still stubborn. Why can't she accept it?"

The nurse jerked a glance at the dour Princess, causing her bosom to bounce slightly underneath the tight shirt she wore. "Your Highness!" Yoko was appalled. "You certainly didn't mean what you just said? How could you be so callous?"

"Leave us." The Princess commanded in a voice that brooded no argument.

Yoko reluctantly bowed after a long moment. "Ah... as you wish, Your Majesty." The nurse gathered her clipboard and medical supplies and slowly exited the large, cool bedchamber.

Mashiro stared icily at the moribund woman that she was a part of before her eyes. The Queen was in a coma, but Mashiro assumed that she could still hear sound. "My mother... Queen Tamura Kazahana Windbloom. The woman that brought me into this hell called life."

The room seemed to become colder and the Queen's skin tone now seemed paler than before. "Hmm hmm... mother I do hope that you are suffering right now." She said. "Heaven knows that I hope that you are going through immense pain right about now. Listen you, this is the end of the line and you know it. Stop your suffering and put an end to that misery."

The Queen stirred in her sleep.

"Nah uh uh! Don't even try to fight it... _mother_," Mashiro said in a strained voice. "Besides, trouble, taxes, and death are the only things that are inevitable. You taught me that." She took out a Fuuka cigar and light it up. "Let's face it, you're going to hell. There's no doubt about it. And when I get there, Lord knows that I'm going to fry."

The Queen groaned, surprising the Princess. "... Ma... ma..."

Mashiro nodded her head sadistically. "Oh... now you're trying to recover. You've been out for eleven months. Why not go for an eternity more? Well, allow me..." The Princess rose from her chair and brandished a royal dagger. "Ooh... now where did this come from? Yeah, I remember, I got this when you betrothed me to that asshole, Prince Nagi Dai Artai... in hopes of _uniting the great kingdoms of Windbloom and Artai_." She said the last part mockingly.

"I was planning on gutting him alive if we were to get married..." Mashiro said while prodding her index finger on the tip of that blade, drawing blood. She licked the blood from her pricked finger. "Umm... blood surely does make the grass grow."

The Queen's words was becoming more legible. "Ma... Mashiro..."

"What in the world!?" The Princess jumped in surprise.

"Ma... Shiro... my baby..." She breathed.

"No way!" Mashiro shrieked. "Woman, why are you doing this to me?"

The Queen slipped back into unconsciousness.

"Ugh! Why you..." Mashiro gritted her teeth. "How is it that you're still struggling when you know that you're doomed now. Ugh, how could you? I made sure that you were not to survive." The Princess became frustrated. "Something's not right."

Mashiro stormed out of the bedchamber, disturbed. What could be going through her head now?

Aoi was there in the halls, euphoric. "Naked you came into this world and naked you shall leave!" She shouted. Damn, that was one hell of a book.

"Aoi! Cut that crap out!" Mashiro yelled. "Why won't you go somewhere else with that damn book! Jeez! You know what-- you're on vacation! Better yet, go on a paid vacation! Just get out of her with what ever that you're reading!"

"Really?" The seemingly puerile brunette was on Cloud 9 now. "Oh thank you, Your Highness!"

The Princess nodded impatiently. "Yeah yeah, just go! I mail you a check!"

"I'm very grateful, Your Majesty." Aoi bowed and literally skipped throughout the royal halls. "Whoo! God is good!"

"Aoi!!" The Princess growled.

**THE HAUNTING OF MASHIRO WINDBLOOM**

"Hmm... if I remember correctly, the house of gypsy should be down this street." Nina wondered, recollecting a route to a location. "Damn, why do she have to live so deep in the village?"

Mai and Erstin was trailing behind, tired as hell. "Nina, are you're sure you know where you going?" Mai asked, struggling with a heavy bag of groceries. "We've been looking for this girl's place for hours. It's dark now and we're still on a wild goose chase."

"My feet hurt," Erstin commented.

"C'mon guys, don't get your too little panties in a bunch. Her place is right on this street, I assure you." Nina remarked. "I just know it."

Mai wasn't convinced. "Next time you see this gypsy, make sure to tell her to give you her business card for an address. Otherwise we wouldn't be lumbering in the village and guessing where she lives." Mai's face suddenly frowned. "Second, how in the heck do you know our underwear too small?"

"Oh, Erstin buys her panties two sizes to small, thus resulting in outstretched fabric." Nina shrugged. "The many times she stumble and tripped in the castle, you couldn't help but notice."

Erstin was offended. "Hey! I am not thick in the backside!"

"What ever." Nina cackled.

"Okay... let's just get back to our search." Mai sighed.

"Freaking A!" Agreed Nina.

"Ooh, a cat!" Erstin chirped when she saw a small gray feline walking along a fence beside her. Her eyes was littered with stars. "Ah! It's so cute! Come here, little guy." She approached the cat and heeded it's attention. "You're such an adorable kitty!"

_Meow._

"Cute it may be, but we don't have time for this." Mai said.

"Erstin, get your ass away from that cat." Nina demanded. "You don't know where it been."

"Aw, chill out Nina-chan." Erstin reassured. "I can take him home and clean him." She directed her attention back to the cat, talking to the creature as if it were a infant. "Yes you are! You're such a cute tomcat! You need a place to live, little guy?"

"Oh boy..." Mai muttered.

_Meow._

The blonde was stroking it's fur now. "Yes yes, Mommy is going to take good care of you!"

_Meow?_

"This is some bullshit..." Nina grumbled with a pout on her face.

"You love Mommy?" Erstin said to the cat in an irritatingly sweet tone. "I hope you do, because Mommy loves you!"

_MEEEOOOWWRRRGH!_

**CHOMP!**

"ARGH!" Nina grasped her offended finger in pain, hopping about like a pogo stick. "The little idiot bit me!"

At that moment, Mai and Nina decided to express their sympathy towards Erstin...

"Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" They both laughed.

"That's not funny! That really hurt." Erstin pouted. She caught sight of where the cat ran off to. "It went inside that shop! That cat isn't going to get away that easily!" She sprinted down the street towards that said shop.

"Erstin!" Mai called the blonde in frustration and followed suit.

"Man! This is throwing us off track." Nina muttered and reluctantly followed the two older girls.

"You're going to get what you deserve, cat!" Erstin declared when she entered the shop. The place she entered was highly peculiar. It was filled with decor of a foreign culture and it reeked of fresh smelling incense. The shop was a dark, yet peaceful place. Unfortunately, a certain blonde girl shattered the peace the moment she entered. "Where are you!"

She knocked over a caged dodo bird. "You're such a mean cat!" Erstin whined. "Why did you bit me, huh?"

In her fit of rage, Erstin was oblivious to the fact that this place was a haven for extremely rare items and supplies. When she heard the cat, the blonde has rambled through priceless paintings of years long forgotten. She even accidentally stomped on a authentic dinosaur egg which was preserved-- ultimately killing it and making the thunder beasts extinct. "You're going to pay!"

The silliness ensured, a legendary relic called 'The Tri-Force' was damaged. An ancient whip of utterly unknown origins called the 'Vampire Killer' was scrapped, and an original print of Amazing Fantasy #15 (The very first Spider-Man comic, folks) was torn into a million pieces. Even a DVD box set of the first season of 'I love Lucy' was defiled. There was even a 'Holy Grail' inside the shop. "I know you're in here somewhere!"

Out of the blue, a full grown wild wolf sprang forth from the shadows. When it saw the intruder, it was bent on getting rid of her. "YAH!!"

There couldn't be a better time for Mai and Nina to enter the fray. "Erstin, what in the world do you think that you are doing?" Mai demanded... suddenly noticing a big bad wolf inside the place. "Oh shoot! Look at the size of that thing!"

"I don't have nothing to do with this," Nina shrugged and decided to walk away.

Erstin was sweating bullets now. The beast was sizing her up, ready for the kill. "Guys..." she pleaded. "Please help me."

"I don't know if we could." Mai commented, backing away ever so slowly.

The wolf smelled the scent of fear from the girls.

_GRR! RUFF! RUFF!_

"It's been nice knowing you guys." Erstin lamented.

"I'm dog chow..." Mai dreaded. "I've never thought that it would end this way."

"Well, I guess I see you guys when we get there," Nina uttered, suddenly glancing around. "Wait a minute? This place looks familiar."

"Duran!" A new voice yelled.

The girls were now stiff with confusion. "Duran?"

"Duran, get back here," the voice commanded and the beast reluctantly did so. When Duran left out of sight, a beautiful raven haired girl appeared from the storage. Wearing strange and elaborate robes, the girl's face was hard with determination and she had a gun in her hand. "You guys wouldn't happen to be robbers would you?" She demanded.

"Uh... no." Mai had her hands raised above her head. "It was just our crazy ass friend barging into your place. It's nothing personal ma'am. Honest."

"A cat bit me and ran in here!" Erstin explained with a childish pout on her face.

"Oh?" The gypsy lowered her gat. "It must have been Kamineko. Now I can understand where you are coming from. He can be quite a pain in the ass sometimes."

There was a hopeful look on the blonde's face. "You know him?"

"Of course I do." The gypsy remarked as if it was the simplest fact in the world. "He's my pet cat." And at that very moment, the said cat appeared and perched on the lovely gypsy's left shoulder.

_Meow._

Erstin's right eye twitched in anger at the sight of the cat. "Humph!"

"It's a good thing I came out here in the nick of time." The gypsy informed with a smirk. "I trained that boy to kill intruders if necessary. He was about to make you guys meet your Maker."

"We're awfully sorry, ma'am." Mai apologized. "We'll pay you for the damage our friend caused."

Nina frowned, somehow she knew that she met this woman before. Now if only she could remember her name... that's it! "Aye, Natsuki! It's been a while, eh?"

The gypsy glanced at the girl near the shop's exit. "Is that you, Nina?"

Nina presented herself in a traditional jester-like way. "In the flesh."

"It's good seeing you. What brings you here?" Natsuki wondered.

"Well frankly... we're going to need your assistance, if you don't mind." Nina replied with hidden meaning behind her words. "Come you come along with us? Better yet, why not bring along some of those fascinating charms with you?"

Natsuki rose a brow, uncertain. Something isn't right about all this? Whatever it is, it was far better to tend to the matter than staying inside with her foster mother. That's for damn sure. "Alright," she spoke at last, reluctantly. "What you have on your hands this time?"

**THE HAUNTING OF PRINCESS WINDBLOOM**

"It's dark," Arika commented as she peered outside a window. "What is taking those guys so long?"

Akane was pacing the room, a little nervous. "Nina said that they went out to look for a gypsy she knows so she can buy some spirit wards from her. Mai took it as an opportunity to buy so groceries." Then she sighed. "But why does it has to be ghosts of all things?"

"I know it's quite scary," Shizuru remarked while she was sipping some green tea. Again. "But Nina-chan is doing what must be done in order to save the kingdom."

"Yeah, I understand that Shizuru, but we're talking about ghost. Ghost!" Akane's growing fear was getting the best of her. "I'm beginning to think that this is not such a good idea."

Arika took her attention away from the window. "Somehow I agree with Akane. I mean, I didn't know that Nina was into that occult stuff. Let alone the fact that she can summon ghosts."

Shizuru clapped her hands adorably. "Ah, I think that this is sort of fascinating. Nina-chan even said that the first ghost will appear sometimes tonight."

"EEK!" Akane shrieked.

"Don't remind us." Arika grumbled.

The door suddenly swung open, scaring the hell out of Arika. "Guys, we're home!"

"YAH!" Arika jumped and hung onto the ceiling fan. "Go away!"

"Cool down, Arika." Nina said when she entered the cabin. "It's just us."

"And we have a special guest!" Erstin announced, making way for the gypsy to enter. "It's the amazing Gypsy-Chan!" When the gypsy entered, a gleam came to Shizuru's eyes. She must have seen the raven haired girl before. It must be deja vu? Hmm... if she could remove the earrings, the head ornament, and the long bandana, then maybe...

A mischievous smile came upon Shizuru's lips. She seen this girl before.

"Hey-hey, there's no need for the big intro, jeez!" Natsuki pushed the exaggerating blonde aside. She was extra careful not to let her robe get caught in the door.

Mai flopped on the couch along with the groceries, exhausted. "It's been a long night."

"Guys, this is my pal, Natsuki Kuga Tanizaki." Nina announced.

"So this is your friend? I like her clothes." Commented Arika.

"Nice to meet you." Akane bowed.

"She's pretty." Shizuru said as she licked her lips.

"Now what are we going to do now since you've summoned those ghosts?" Mai asked Nina. "If we're going to take control of the situation then we better get on the ball now."

Natsuki glared at Nina, incredulous. "You did what?"

Nina scratched her head sheepishly. "I summoned three spirits. Ah ha ha ha heh heh..."

Natsuki was alert now. "Nina, you know better than that! Ghosts are highly erratic. You have to protect yourselves and monitor their moments. Girl, you just don't know what kind of power that you've tapped into. How could you be so sure that the spirits are harmless?"

"Um... not really." Nina relayed hesitantly. "They are the ghosts of royalty past, present, and future after all." Natsuki gritted her teeth. "What?"

"Don't you know that the ghost of the future is always an evil spirit?" Natsuki queried, practically yelling and waving her arms in anxiety.

"Uh... I was aware of that." Nina shuddered.

"Ugh!" Natsuki fished inside her robes and took out a crystal ball and several spiritual wards. "You guys, get these and litter the entire cabin with these things." She commanded. "We have to be very cautious when we are dealing with spirits. One slip, and we could all suffer extreme consequences."

Akane snatched a few of them and went to work right away. "You don't have to tell me twice!"

"Yeah," Mai was fully energized and spotting the windows now. "Nina should have know better! This was a screwy idea in the first place!"

"Go away boogieman!" Erstin was tossing the charms around the place like darts.

"Ara," Shizuru was chuckling, "I do hope that Natsuki knows what she's doing."

Natsuki suddenly paused, frightened. "Hold on a sec!" All the girls in the cabin promptly did so. "Oh no! The first spirit is already among us!"

Akane, Arika and Mai hopped on the couch and grasped each other in fear. Nina was gazing around the cabin on high alert and Shizuru had a saccharine smile on her face. Erstin... oh boy... Erstin did the ostrich thing and stuck her head through the wooden floor-- hiding. "Don't be afraid," Natsuki instructed. "I've already cast a spell that makes this spirit both visible and tangible."

"I... don't... see... any... spirit..." Nina said warily.

The fireplace suddenly went out.

"EEK!"

The door swung wide open out of the blue.

"YAH!"

The cabin was now totally dark. However...

"Ara?" Said a voice. The door slammed shut and the entire cabin was now filled by an unnatural light from the spirit's aura. The girls watched the scene in morbid fascination.

"Is... that it?" Mai asked slowly.

"That's right." Natsuki confirmed.

"Hmm?" The spirit was a beautiful tall blonde woman with exotically squared shoulders. Her face was pale and oval shaped and her youthful violet eyes were soft and slanted. Her comely eyes also had long eyelashes and purple kohl. The spirit was dressed in a royal gown of deep lavender and it's design was of the Windbloom Empire of nine hundred years ago... long before it was known as the Windbloom Kingdom. Even more striking was the spirit's figure; she had shapely hips, and her bosom was just as impressive--if not-- even more so than Mai's It seems as though that this spirit took pride in her appearance as well.

The spirit pursed her transparent lips and flipped her long wavy golden locks. " I am the Spirit of Royalty Past. Are you the one that summoned me?" She asked Natsuki.

Natsuki was tense. She could only point at Nina.

The golden haired apparition gazed at Nina. "Then I suppose it was you that summoned me?"

Nina only nodded in awe. She really pulled it off! She didn't actually believe that her plan would work because she was only experimenting. As of now, however, she's going to have to step her game up. Finally regaining herself from her stupor, she told the spirit, "Spirit! You was not suppose to haunt us! You were suppose to haunt the Princess!"

The spirit tilted her head to the left cutely. "Oh... right!"

All the girls fell to the floor.

**END OF CHAPTER TWO**

**NEXT TIME:**

Haruka: "I am the Spirit of Royalty Past!"

Nina: "Uh, yeah. We know that already."

Natsuki: "Don't mind her, spirit. She's reckless."

Haruka: "I can see that."

Akane: "Whoa! This spirit isn't imposing at all."

Haruka: "Hey! I resent that!"

Nina: "Now spirit! Go forth and haunt the Princess! Go! Sic em!"

Haruka: "You people of this day and age are really something else. Why, nine hundred fifteen years ago..."

**THE HAUNTING OF PRINCESS WINDBLOOM**

**CHAPTER THREE**

**TRIPPING DOWN MEMORY LANE**


	3. Tripping Down Memory Lane

_The secret of Aoi's lunacy is revealed at last! Whew! Dealing with faulty internet connections for a month sucks!_

**THE HAUNTING OF PRINCESS WINDBLOOM**

**CHAPTER 3**

**TRIPPING DOWN MEMORY LANE**

"Why do you have to leave me again," the eight year old demanded her mother in misunderstanding. "You've just came back no too long ago! You're always so busy!"

"Now now, you know that this is a very important meeting, baby." The Queen addressed her youngest daughter, referring to a political conference with several other nations concerning the tension with the kingdom of Artai and that of her own. "Let's just hope that this one will not take as long as the last one."

Mashiro pouted cutely despite her urgent rage. "You're hardly ever at home, mama!" She remarked. "How can you be a queen when you're barely here, huh?"

Queen Tamura knelt down to her knees and patted her daughter's head. "Being a queen is a very big responsibility, little miss. Life is no fairy tale."

"So that's why you rather have Shizuru assigned as the next one?"

"I'm sorry, baby. I know how you feel." Tamura spoke in an apologetic tone. "But your sister is willing to accept the heavy burden of ruling the kingdom. She's been in training for so long she's willing to spare you from--"

"Shizuru is not my sister!" Mashiro spat, her temper flared. "She's just a piece of trash that you just so happen to have found in the slums! How could you deny my birthright mama!?"

"Now listen here--"

"I will not listen to you!" Mashiro yelled at her mother with tears in her eyes. Honestly that child need her little ass whooped. "I hate Shizuru! I... I hate you too!"

Tamura was taken aback, gasping in shock. How could someone so adorable be so full of hatred? "Mashiro!"

"Argh!" The violet haired heathen raged and sprinted down the royal hall. In her blind ire, she almost toppled over Shizuru.

Concerned, the twenty year old brunette held Mashiro's attention. "Is there something the matter, sister?"

The princess glared at her 'big sister' for a very long moment. "Grr..." After growling like an agitated mongrel at Shizuru, she bulleted herself to her room and slammed the door, knocking over a few knight armors in the process.

"Ara? What was that all about?" Shizuru wondered idly. She was wearing a royal midnight blue skirt with intricate gold trimmings on it's edges. Even though she was not big on jewelry there was a beautiful diamond bracelet on her left wrist that probably costs more than a house payment. Her hair was done in a tarigashima styled ponytail with a long cobalt ribbon in the center of it. "You two had the conversation again, Mama?"

The taller woman looks sad. "It's that obvious huh? Yeah... we did. She still refuses to accept the fact that I'm trying to save her from a lifetime of adverse leadership."

"Mama... I'm so sorry." Shizuru lamented. She agreed with Tamura's logic of protecting Mashiro from such a difficult lifestyle but she never thought that the Princess would be angry with the both of them because of it. "I was just trying to help."

"No need to apologize, Shizuru. Someday, she will understand." Tamura reassured.

Down the hall, the princess stick her head out of her room door and glared at Tamura and her foster sister. "Trash!" She cursed.

The Queen sighed. "Let's just hope that that day would be very soon."

Shizuru closed her eyes. "I see..."

Inside her room, the Princess flopped on her large bed and squealed in her pillow. "ARGH! I can't stand those two! What makes them so high and mighty? Do they hate me that much!"

The Princess sat up in her bed, contemplating. "My mother will pay. Being a queen couldn't be that hard. What does Shizuru got that I don't have? Besides the fact that she drives a lot of men and just as many women crazy about her... she has zilch on me! She's nothing-- nothing!"

The girl rolled off her bed and trotted towards the balcony. The night skies were clear and littered with countless stars. She remembered on a night just like tonight years ago that she first encountered her friend that wasn't so imaginary. When her 'friend' first appeared she knew that it was not of this world. Mashiro was angry with her mother just like tonight when it happened.

"_Can you make my mother pay for hurting me like she did?" _Mashiro asked her mysterious friend at the time.

"_Very well. May she suffer,"_ the enigma spoke.

"It's been two years since and there isn't any sign of her," Mashiro said to herself, gazing at the skies. "And my mother is still standing on her two feet." All of a sudden, clouds covered the night sky and a thick, ominous presence was felt. The presence could have unnerved even the most fearless of people. Mashiro gasped in shock and felt a little afraid. She hugged herself when a cold breeze suddenly filled her room.

"How nice too see you again... friend." The Princess' friend was in her presence-- in her very room. Despite the odious presence it exudes, it's voice was unnaturally beautiful and... feminine.

Mashiro smirked and turned to face the shadows of darkness in her room. "Well speak of the devil."

The melodious voice spoke again, this time in amusement. "You couldn't have chose a better term to describe me, Princess."

**THE HAUNTING OF PRINCESS WINDBLOOM**

"So," Akane started, boldly approaching the apparition. "Are you really the spirit of the past?" Akane couldn't believe it, the ghost is nothing more than a young woman that was mere inches taller than her. "And here I thought that you would be... well, frightening."

"Correction, I am the Spirits of Royalty Past," Haruka reintroduced herself, growing tired of the air of doubt from some of the girls. "How many times must I remind you? Second, just because I'm a ghost doesn't necessarily mean that I have to be spooky." She was a feisty one, that Haruka. It makes her all the more appealing.

"I believe you," Nina spoke up. "Heck I was the one that summoned you. Now can you go meet the Princess and do your thing?"

The nearly millennia old buxom phantom gasped at the raven haired imp's impertinence. "Why I never! The gall of children these days!" She sang. "Back in my day, your insolence would have gotten you a public walloping. You would have been totally humiliated-- humiliated, you hear me?"

Nina yawned, imperturbable. "Jeez, you are old-fashioned. You guys believed in public spankings? That hasn't been done in nearly... nine centuries."

Haruka was the ghost here, but she found herself a bit timorous of Nina's rebellious persona. "Ooh, the nerve of you! You people of this day and age are really something else. I mean, a woman as sedative as you are is virtually unheard of!"

A young brunette wearing glasses sudden appeared in the cabin through a dimensional gateway. She scared the hell out of all the mortal girls in the room. "That's seditious, Haruka-chan." She noted.

"AAAAHHHH!" Everyone in the cabin, minus Haruka and Shizuru, shrieked. However, Shizuru masked that fact that she was surprised by the sudden appearance.

Haruka widened her eyes at the much younger spirit. "Yukino, you've followed me."

Yukino prodded her chin, thinking of an explanation. "I've noticed that you were disappearing from the spirit plane. And I know you, Haruka-chan. You don't usually visit the mortal world. I had a feeling that you were being summoned."

"You're right, I was," Haruka replied and pointed an accusatory finger at Nina. "I've been summoned by the rudest woman in the known universe."

"Hey!" Nina spat.

"Excuse me," Natsuki addressed the spirit wearing glasses. "But who are you?"

"Oh, right! I'm terribly sorry for not introducing myself. My name is Yukino Chrysant. It's so nice to meet you all."

"You're _the _Yukino Chrysant?" Akane eyed the girl in wonder. "The third daughter of Sir Masaki Chrysant VI that saved Queen Ryoka WindBloom from an assassination attempt a little over three hundred years ago?"

Yukino couldn't help but blush. Her bold action, however, cost her very life. Fortunately, death was just an opportunity to her. She would have never met her best friend, Haruka. To her, the blonde Amazon was the closest thing to heaven. "Heh... that's me all right... the daughter of an impoverished knight of the WindBloom Army."

"That was so noble of you!" Arika piped up, stars in her eyes. All of her life, she had always admired the heroic type. "I've read all about you in the history books!"

Yukino was honored. "Thanks. The Queen was very fair to her people during that time. Something had to be done to prevent her murder." Her noise suddenly twitched because of a peculiar scent. "Hey, is there something burning in here?"

"Mai, the stew!" Erstin exclaimed, surprisingly reliable when it came to matters of hunger.

"Oh! Right!" Mai fled from her spot and was tending to the large cauldron in a flash. She took a spoonful of the consommé and tasted it. "Mm... not bad. And here I thought that it was burnt."

"Phew... the food is saved." Erstin sighed in relief.

"Hey Mai, don't forget to make a dinner bowl for Tate." Akane informed the younger girl, giggling like a elementary schoolgirl. "He's working late and I guess he's pretty hungry right about now. Go on ahead and feed your man."

Mai turned sharply on her feet, her face a glaring beet red. "Tate is not my boyfriend!" She cried, earning dubious glances from her friends. "Ah..." She fidgeted her fingers together nervously. "We're just good friends. There's nothing going on between us. You see... he's what people would call a free spirit."

Haruka scoffed, rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her rather impressive chest. "Back when I was growing up we had a name for a free spirit."

Intrigued, Mai said, "What's that?"

"A ho." Nina confirmed in a very tart tone. She was filling her fingernails.

"Exactly." Haruka nodded, finding it strange for agreeing with the rude girl. Even over the course of nine centuries, men has not changed even in the slightest bit. To her, they seem to resists changes.

Erstin gave it a thought, looking cute. "Those kind of men scare me." She opined.

"Tate is not a whore." Mai retold. She wasn't sure why she was defending him. Just because his eyes may roam her body's every curve during casual conversation like a pervert, doesn't make him a whore. So she think. "He's just... I don't know... appreciative."

Natsuki could only chuckle at the entire tirade.

"Appreciative, huh?" Akane became more dubious by the minute. "That means I must've knocked Kazu-kun's lights out a couple of times for being appreciative. To me, a man like that may be more familiar with a woman's three sizes than his own social security number."

Natsuki, Yukino, and Haruka snorted.

Mai sighed in defeat.

Shizuru sipped on a cup of tea.

Nina and Arika looked just plain bored.

Erstin was gazing inside her shirt curiously.

"Oh! You means sizes like 36-23-36?" The blonde wondered aloud. "A few knights at the castle were saying that about me."

Everyone sighed at the usually quiet and clueless girl.

"Spirit," Nina regarded Haruka again. "It's late. Could you please go to the castle and traumatize the Princess? The task at hand has been delayed long enough."

"Well... at least you were a bit nicer about it," Haruka nodded with the sigh. Just as she was about to vanish, Yukino stopped her. "What is it?"

"I've got an idea." The cool smile on her face was a sight to behold. "You're heading into the past right? Isn't there anyone here that can monitor the task?"

Natsuki had a crystal ball. "This ball here can monitor Haruka's and the Princess' movements. I used this in a spell in order to make you guys both visible and tangible." She said.

"Interesting," Yukino noted. "a craft that can decipher the actions of apparitions. But can that device allow you to actually gaze in the past?"

Natsuki thought about it. "Hmm... I'm afraid not... So?" Then, a look of curiosity was upon her. "Do you really have something that can actually do that?"

Yukino giggled, conspiratorially. "Ah, I have just the thing."

**MAI OTOME**

The Princess was on her throne in a much to blase posture. Her messenger was announcing some so-called important events that occurred in today's world, but it all came to her in a half audible gibberish. Hell she really didn't give a damn. She was the ruler of one of the most influential nations in existence. Whatever turmoil the neighboring kingdoms were going through was not her business. "Yeah... yeah... so Artai's still full of shit." She said indifferently. "I mean, wasn't that fact really something new?"

"Your Highness, the Duke of that nation is going to be here at tomorrow's festival." A rather sexy redhead informed, not really surprised at how blase the Princess could be. Nao was a small woman, but she can easily turn the heads of many hot-blooded men... and women... switch-hitters-- whatever, you get the point.

"What?" The Princess practically stood on her throne now. "You mean to tell me that Nagi the Dickhead is going to attend tomorrow's festivities?"

The devil-eyed filly nodded. "Yeah, didn't you know?"

Mashiro seemed thoughtful. "So that must mean..."

"... That your birthday is tomorrow as well," Nao finished.

The Princess jerked her head irritably-- Dave Chappelle style. "Shit!"

"It happens, Your Highness." Nao remarked. Yes, it's been known for centuries... shit surely does happens.

Well, at least Dickhead was the bad news to her. Moving on to the good news... "So... what other guests are we going to have on the day ahead?"

_Why you!?-- I've just read ten pages of news and now your interest's piqued. _"Cardair... Aries Republic... and, oh yeah, Prince John of Nottingham is going to be in for a while as a special guest." Nao announced.

"The hell-- Prince John of Nottingham, too?" Mashiro screeched, eyes wide. "Fuck! The entire animal kingdom is going to be up in here! Now I'm going to have to deal with all the fleas and horrible smells! Can't this get any worse?"

_You lucky hoodlum. _"That is all, Your Highness." Nao bowed.

Mashiro paced around the altar of her throne, a little out of it. Nao was staring at her and awaiting her next command. The redhead was tapping her foot impatiently. "Well?" Nao queried with a raised brow.

"Well what?" Mashiro shot back, half attentive.

Nao hated to say this, but, "I'm waiting for you to give me the next order."

"You're dismissed, Nao." Mashiro waved facetiously. It was very close to midnight. "Better yet, take a few days off and take your ass somewhere, will ya? I got a lot on my mind."

"I am honored, Your Highness." Nao replied and turned to exit the throne room. With a face, she growled a low, "Bitch."

The Princess caught what the messenger uttered. "Your mama."

Nao's eyes began twitching and the gigantic double doors slid closed behind her. Ooh, if Mashiro wasn't the ruler of the kingdom Nao would have handed her ass to her everyday of the week and thrice on Sunday. The redhead trotted down the hall with her hands in her pocket. At least she has some free time on her hands now. The Princess granted it. That little tyke must be going through a guilt trip or something? Whatever it was, Nao didn't give a flying--

Hoot... A joyous hoot rang through the royal halls. "Peace be still!" The voice full of elation cried. "Whoo! Peace is made of steel!"

Nao's interest was piqued and a smirk formed on her already infamous devilish face. Maybe some strapping young man had snuck into the castle and was now putting that work on the maid. No... no... maybe the person was on his knees and giving the girl some good hea-- the sounds of a woman crying joyfully to her deity was beyond the level of what mere male genitalia can do. Plus she didn't hear any squeaking hinges. "Aoi? What in the world is going on in there?"

Nao pressed her ear against the door to the maid's quarters.

"Ooh!... eh?" There was an uncomfortable pause in her room. "Is that you, Nao?" The sounds of ruffling and shuffling was heard and a few pitter-patter of feet a moment later the brunette opened the door. She was mildly surprised when she saw Nao before her. "You're back already?"

"Duh. You see me right?" Nao melted into the room, looking for signs and sniffing the air for any peculiar scents. Aoi was giggling. She cut right into the chase. "Where is he?" She demanded.

"There's no one here," Aoi replied.

_Bullshit! Girl, it sounded like you were taking a beating . _"Are you sure? It sounds like you were having a congregation up in here." Nao's eyes continued to scan the room.

"Oh that... Mashiro-sama has given a lot of her employers a little vacation. That explains why I'm in such a good mood." She pointed towards a duffle bag. "I'm getting packed right now."

Nao sighed. "Ah... whatever. Her Majesty is behaving kind of strange but-- what the hell. Do you want to hit the bar, tonight? The last couple of days been pretty lousy."

"Yea, of course." Aoi chirped happily. "Chie's probably already there. Maybe we can meet her."

"Girls' night out, huh? That's not a bad idea." The redhead acquiesced right before something in the room caught her attention. There was a book on Aoi's bed. It was a thick novel with maybe four hundred pages or more to be exact. Nothing really unusual about it. What really caught Nao's attention was the many bookmarks jutting out of it. She was immediately upon it. "Well... well... what do we have here?"

A telltale blush was stained on Aoi's face. "It's my diary." Aoi said lamely and unconvincingly. "It's personal stuff, Nao."

Nao did the test-tube baby thing and grabbed the novel anyway. "Hmm, mind if I take a peek?"

"No, that's invasion of privacy!" Aoi gave a burlesque squeal and ran towards Nao. With her free hand, Nao poked her index finger in the cleft of Aoi's bosom, stunning the older girl. "Ow!" Aoi groaned and fell on her butt. She glared at Nao with a cute face of embarrassment. That hurt like a bitch!

"Now let's see what's up with this book." Nao slowly opened the novel and suddenly felt a fierce tugging at her legs. She gazed mischievously at the maid. "Wow, you really don't want me to know your little secrets, don't cha?"

"NO!" Aoi roared and put in every last bit of her strength to knock Nao off balance.

"Ack!" Nao was flailing her arms and fell to the floor with a thud. A comical pratfall at that, which deserved laughter. The book was flipping in the air, spilling the 'bookmarks.'

"No way!! No!" Aoi whined, her secret unraveled at last. The bookmarks scattered all over the floor.

"What's this?" Nao surveyed one of them before her, turns out that they weren't bookmarks at all. They were cut outs from magazines. Her eyes widened in pure fascination. "Oh my damn! Raul the Monster? I can see why. He can creep up on me in a dark alley... so I can rob his ass blind." She snatched another one that was on her head and damn near had a stroke when she saw the next photo. "Tony Toolmaster?" Nao uttered in awe. "Damn! He's packing!"

Aoi hung her head in defeat. "Nao..."

Nao checked out yet another picture. "Lord have mercy! Look at this number right here! This guy calls himself the Easter Rabbit." Nao began snickering. "And you know what's funny? This guy doesn't even celebrate the holiday."

Aoi gazed at the ceiling and started the waterworks. For all she knew, God could be doing a standup comedy act about her.

**MAI OTOME**

Haruka glided through the grand halls of the castle. She was astounded that the interior of the place remained virtually the same as it was when she herself was inhabiting it centuries ago. The place was definitely kept with the times but it's good to know that the kingdom honored the past. Even the maids' quarters were where she remembered it. And speaking of maids...

One was being dragged through the halls by a red haired devil. "C'mon, cheer up Aoi. What are you so ashamed about?"

The older girl whom was being dragged throughout the halls muttered a tart, "Don't talk to me, Nao" She pouted.

"Girl, stop it. I mean, what is wrong with a woman when she wants to indulge herself in gazing at eye-candy?" Nao gasped, her eyes suddenly becoming catty and held a hand over her mouth to keep herself from erupting into raucous laughter. "Heh heh he... eye candy. Bwa ha ha ha ha ha!"

"You're mean, Nao." Aoi griped.

Haruka stared at the two mortals down the hall and decided that they were indeed a trip. She resumed her search for the royal bedchamber and gasped at what appears to be a visual screen that sudden came out of thin air. "What the heck?"

Yukino's face was on the screen. "Haruka-chan."

"Yukino, you're using that creepy thing again?"

The face on the screen pouted. "Diana is not creepy."

"Hey!" Another face appeared on the screen. "Are you haunting the Princess yet, Spirit?"

A bead of sweat appeared on Haruka's brow. "I'm getting there you little brat!"

Nina scowled. "Aw, a half-retarded quadriplegic Ninja Turtle moves faster than you do." She was suddenly pushed aside by none other than, "Erstin!"

"Hmm?" The blonde wondered with a look of amusement. "Is this cable? I wonder if I can watch Tom & Jerry classics on this."

A second screen appeared. "Ahem... as I was saying, I just want to let you know that Diana is being used to monitor you guys." Yukino stated. "That's all."

A third monitor shows up. The image of an apprehensive Akane was on it. "Yukino, are you sure that this thing doesn't bite?"

"I'm positive," The Poindexter phantom relayed.

"But anyway," Nina interrupted, "Do you smell anything peculiar? If you do, then follow that scent. It will lead you right to that Tiny Titan." She was referring to the lure that she put into the royal cake. "I kinda read up on it, ya know."

Haruka gritted her teeth. The raven haired devil may be rude and obstinate, but she was a genius when it came down to the study of the occult. "Yeah yeah... we're spiritual by nature so therefore you injected a phantasm charm in whatever she has eaten today. You've really done your homework, girly."

There was an arrogant smirk on Nina's face. "You better believe it!"

"Good for you..." Haruka remarked with just a roll of her eyes. She was just past the throne room when she began sensing something. Whatever it was, it certainly got the blonde on edge. "Goodness... something's not right about the air all of a sudden." She gazed warily at an ascending flight of stairs. "What is up these stairs?"

"It's the way to both the Queen and Mashiro's bedchambers. A very long flight of stairs at that." Nina explained. "What's wrong? I thought you knew where to go."

Haruka was skeptical. "Are you sure? There's something screwy going on. I sense a... presence." She slowly ascended the stairs."

"You must mean both the Queen and her daughter?" Akane asked.

"That's what creeping you out?" Nina wondered, bemused.

To their wonder, they noticed that Haruka was literally flying up the stairs at a hurried pace. Yukino grew even more curious when she saw that her eternal friend now seemed to be frantically searching for someone or something. Natsuki then came close to Diana, wondering what was with all the tension all of a sudden. "What's happening there?"

"I don't know." Yukino nodded. "Haruka said that she sensed something unusual."

"What does she mean by that?" The gypsy inquired.

"It's a presence... or so she says." Yukino sighed.

"It's in here!" Haruka exclaimed to the various screens monitoring her. "The presence is the strongest in here! And it's evil! Pure evil!"

"Hold on a minute," Mai was now viewing through Diana. "That's the Queen's room. Are you sure?"

"I'm positive." Haruka replied gravely.

"The Queen's very ill, though." Akane informed. "She's been bedridden for nearly a year."

"Well, whatever it is that I'm sensing it may very well be the cause of her suffering!" Haruka persisted, dying to barge into the Queen's room.

Everyone in the cabin fell deathly silent. There were masks of uncertainty on everyone's faces. Could the Amazonian spirit be wrong about what she was detecting in the royal bedchamber? Now that they thought about, it did kind of makes sense. Could Tamura's grave ailment be linked to whatever it is what Haruka felt? Is there a supernatural force at work? If so, wasn't the Princess aware of it? Or, an even better question: Did the Princess herself put a curse on her very own mother? That was the real question. "Haruka... please proceed with caution." Yukino advised.

Haruka nodded and entered the room. Inside, the room was very dark and the only source of light were the countless stars in the night sky illuminating through the window. Haruka moved about the area cautiously, as what she was instructed to do. The strong presence was still being felt but she didn't see any signs of it. She glanced at the fireplace... nothing. She took a look at the machine that was supervising the Queen's health condition... nada. She even surveyed the family portraits in the room for roaming eyes and discovered... zilch. "What is going on here?" She whispered to herself.

She hovered over the bed and gazed down, searching for any abnormalities about the slumbering Queen. Fortunately, there was a clue. The ghost gasped when she noticed it. "Guys... she... she's crying."

Now everyone (even Shizuru) was viewing all this through Diana. There was now a total of eight screens hovering around Haruka. "She's crying?" Everyone said at the same time.

Haruka slowly levitated to the ground beside the bed. Yep, there was concrete evidence and no denying it. The comatose Queen's face was stained with tears. Even more alarming was the fact that they were fresh tears. "What in the world?" Confusion etched the blonde's features.

Shizuru had the face of intense worry. "Mama..."

"She's suffering," Natsuki confirmed. "There's no doubt about it now. The Queen is under the influence of a curse."

"Poor thing..." Erstin sniffed, nearly driven to tears.

The revelation frightened everyone. "Who would do such a thing?" Akane spoke.

"No one knows." Yukino nodded sadly. She nearly forgot how truly chaotic and manic the mortal world could be. "But I bet everyone is willing to find out."

The gypsy regarded Haruka. "Spirit, is the presence still there?"

"Yea, it's still pretty strong in here. I'm pretty sure--" A movement in the darkness caught the corner of her eyes. "Wait a minute! Something _is _here!"

"Really?"

The blonde saw it: a silhouette of... something moving rapidly through the huge room. "Halt!" She cried and whatever it was registered her demand. A fraction of a second later, it melted into the darkness-- escaping the room. "Stop! You're not getting away from me!"

"Go Haruka-chan!"

"After it!" Natsuki the gypsy shouted. "That's the culprit!"

"What are you waiting for? Haul ass!" Nina urged.

Haruka took flight, intent on chasing the mystery but the door to the room sudden flew open. "What the heck! Who in the world are you?"

Surprise surprise! Everyone could only look on... How would the blonde handle the situation now?

Haruka gazed at the person in the doorway whom was staring at her levitating form. It was the prime suspect. "I am Haruka Armitage!" She hailed, doing her routine. "And I am the Spirit of Monarchy Past!"

Mashiro yawned. "Yeah yeah... I must have hit that hay a little to hard before I crashed." She rubbed her eyes and reached inside of the top of her pajamas to scratch herself. "I must be dreaming... yeah, that's it."

"You don't believe me?" Haruka couldn't believe the gall of this woman. "Perhaps you would like to join me to observe many vital moments of your past?" She hovered back to the ground and stood before the Princess. The look on her face defied power and authority.

On the other hand, there was a look of nonchalance and a lack of sleep on Mashiro's face. "That's bull. You can't do that." This girl can give the mulish Nina a run for her money. The Princess eyed the much taller female in question. "And not to sound gay-- because I'm not-- you're pretty stacked. You'd probably turned heads back in the day."

Haruka gasped. If a ghost could blush, she damn sure did. "What does that have to do with anything!?"

Mashiro scratched her head. "Nothing really, I was just putting out the facts." She remarked nonchalantly. "Anyway, why would you want to show me my past? I have memories you know?"

"You wanted me to prove to you that I can actually travel into the past!" Haruka seethed. "Are you coming or not?"

"Oh what the hell?" Mashiro shrugged, still thinking that this is a dream. "I can go for a laugh."

Haruka sighed and lifted the termagant into her arms. "You better hang on too" She warned. "If you fall off, then that's your own fault."

"Wow." Mashiro gave a long whistle. This broad was freakishly strong for a woman. "You may have the figure of a Teutonic goddess but you're as strong as a she-devil."

"Oh shut up already." Haruka replied in an irritable tone. A weird mass of light instantly appeared before them and the next thing they knew they were traveling down a highly out of the ordinary path through space and time. It was a very psychedelic experience. Even dreams weren't this weird. The girls back at the cabin was viewing all of this thanks to Yukino's Child. And they all realized that the blonde wasn't joking at all.

There was a glazed over look in Erstin's eyes. "Ooh... nice light show."

"Ara... fascinating. Look at all those clocks and years flying by." Shizuru admired, viewing all of this as though it was an entertaining movie.

"Whatever it was in the Queen's room can wait for later." Natsuki told the others. "Maybe now we can discover where is the root of evil."

Yukino prodded her chin in worry. "Yes, they're literally traveling down lane." She said. "There must be a link from the past."

**END OF CHAPTER THREE**

**NEXT TIME:**

Aoi: "Welcome everyone! I'm Aoi Senou!"

Chie: "What's happening? This is Chie Harada."

Aoi & Chie: "You're watching Senou and Harada's Preview Corner!"

Aoi: "Gracious! There's going to be an interesting turn of events in the next episode."

Chie: "Yea, seems like it. I wonder if Mashiro is going to be traumatized after all of this?"

Aoi: "Yes indeed, Chie-chan. In the event of things to come, something may shock you."

Chie: "It's okay. It couldn't be that bad. Whatever it is, it may not be nearly as shocking as that novel you've been reading. Heh heh heh..."

Aoi: (blushes) "Chie... That was an embarrassing moment for me."

Chie: "Don't worry, Aoi-chan. I'm still your buddy. Anyway, in the next chapter I'll make an appearance at last. I've been down south for a while so I know some of you viewers out there been looking for me."

Aoi: "Wow. You were at the beach, I bet-- soaking in the sun."

Chie: "I was getting a lot of attention too..."

Aoi: "I bet..."

Chie: "Heh... now that our beloved ruler is in the past, many visitors from other kingdoms are gathered here for the festival."

Aoi: "Yeah, so that means Duke Nagi is going to be here! Ooh-- he's going to court the Princess, I bet. Someone drew a fanart of them kissing."

Chie: "Ah... steamy! And that's not all folks... starting next episode the kingdom of WindBloom is going to have a very special guest: Prince John of Nottingham!"

Aoi: "Hold up... you mean the Lion King?"

Chie: "Actually... no. But you were close."

Aoi: "So if Prince John is here then... that must mean Robin Hood is not far behind!"

Chie: "Right. It's the vulpine prince of thieves himself. And you certainly can't forget his not so little sidekick, Little Jon!"

Aoi: "Oh boy... this picture will never be the same."

Chie: "Stay tune to see what kind of chaos we ensure in the next episode: 'Moments In History'. It's time to go wild!"

Aoi: "See you next time!"

**THE HAUNTING OF PRINCESS WINDBLOOM**

**CHAPTER FOUR**

**MOMENTS IN HISTORY**


	4. Moments In History

_I'm back and Happy New Year to you too, noble reader._

**MAI OTOME**

**THE HAUNTING OF PRINCESS WINDBLOOM**

**CHAPTER 4**

**MOMENTS IN HISTORY**

"My head hurts." Aoi complained.

Nao skew a glance at the depressed older girl. "Oh? You must be coming down with a fever or something?"

"No. It's not a fever," Aoi replied with a sarcastic gleam in her eyes. "You are currently the cause of my pain and suffering." She sighed and sat on a wooden box in the dark alley.

"You're going to blame it all on little ole me?" Nao made a cute face, feigning innocence. "Why Aoi-chan, I'm hurt... deeply. I thought that I was your buddy and now you're making a menace out of me for inadvertently revealing your secret." She noticed the maid's face grew a deep shade of red. "Besides, laying the blame on someone or something is the most dishonorable way of reasoning."

"Inadvertently, huh?" Aoi glanced up at Nao questionably. "I wouldn't call it that. You were being way too inquisitive for your own good."

A dark chuckle escaped the younger woman. "Ah... so you can't stand the taste of your own medicine, eh?"

"Whatever..." Aoi sighed.

"C'mon girl," Nao grabbed Aoi by her hand. "There's no need for you to feel so depressed over some pictures. You should be happy that the brat granted us a little vacation. The night is young. See?" She pointed towards the night sky embellished with bright stars. "Enough with the blues already." Something suddenly caught her eye down the alley. It was a royal caravan from another region. "What do we have here?"

Aoi trotted towards the younger girl and took a peek at what the said girl was surveying. "Oh? That must be a visitor of ours that is going to participate in tomorrow's festivities."

"Yeah, I know that already," said Nao with a gleam in her eyes. It wasn't the stagecoach that caught her eye. It was the bags of currency that was in plain sight that did. "Whoever it is, he or she should be more careful with their money. Girl, anyone has to be a fool to leave money laying around like this."

Knowing the redhead, Aoi warned, "Don't do it Nao," she advised. "This isn't another lonely businessman we're talking about here."

"With all of this money laying around here..." Nao advanced slowly towards the caravan. "No one is going to notice one missing bag."

Aoi grew fearful. "Nao!"

The redhead was hovering over the stash now. "Come to mama."

"You're so hardheaded!" Aoi hissed.

"Say, what in tarnation is going on here?" A voice broke out.

"Oh no! Busted!" Aoi cried.

Nao quickly backed away from the carriage and put on an innocent front. The voice was male, so that means Nao can get out of this predicament with ease. No man can resists her girlish good looks and feminine wiles. Unfortunately for her she was in for a big surprise. True enough the voice was a male's voice... "Why there's nothing going on here, sir." Nao said in a sweet southern belle's voice. "We were just curious about whatever good visitors we're having for this here WindBloom."

"Oh really?" The voice said.

"Yes, really sir." Nao replied as she noticed the approaching shadow in the streetlight. When the visitor finally got in her view, the redhead gasped. "What in the heck!?"

It was a male all right but it wasn't her own species. "How do you do, ma'am? I'm Sheriff of Nottingham and it's darn tooting pleased to meet cha." He extended his huge clawed hand for a handshake.

Oh great... an obese bipedal shaggy wolf.

A gasp of laughter escaped from Aoi. The maid came from her hiding spot in the alley and gave the sheriff a welcoming. "Welcome to the Kingdom of WindBloom." She announced with a bow of civility. "This must be Prince Jon's party, am I correct?"

"That would be us, ma'am." Sheriff grinned while his huge belly bounced like Santa Clause's. "It has been a very, very long and tiring trip for us and Prince Jon is looking for a first rate hotel to vacate in before tending to tomorrow's merriment."

_Damn. I forgot about these creeps,_ Nao thought. She surveyed the sheriff's massive frame. He may be a big fat ball of fur, but there was no doubt in her mind that he was a bit versed in combating lore behind the blubber. His size, teeth and claws were advantageous to him if such an incident should arise. Dealing with him would be far more difficult than dealing with an ordinary human. _To say the least... things are definitely going to be interesting._

"Would you please cease your lollygagging and return to your task, Sheriff?" Another voice demanded. It was Prince Jon himself. He was carrying some brochures from the welcoming center. "We are dire need of rest and here you are talking with-- with... peasants." He gave the WindBloom girls a look of xenophobic derision. The sheriff immediately regretted introducing himself to the two humans. "Come now, we are on a tight schedule."

"Uh-- yes Your Majesty!" The big wolf immediately followed the mountain lion's orders.

_So it's like that now? _Nao thought with a smirk. _I got your peasants, fleabag._

Just as Prince Jon was about to mount his caravan, Aoi was immediately behind him with regards. "Prince Jon of Nottingham."

"Ah ha... that would be me, my dear." The Prince remarked in a high and mighty voice.

"Please forgive us for troubling you if we did, sir." Aoi bowed once again, her long braid slapping her face this time. "We are direct servants of Princess WindBloom and it is our honor to welcome you to our wonderful kingdom." She skewed a glared at the ever blase Nao and grunted at her. "Hmm-umm! Get over here, stupid."

The redhead registered what the maid meant a little late. "Huh? Oh-- oh yeah, right! We welcome you, oh great Prince of Nottingham." She said with reluctance but it wasn't apparent to the Prince. _Go smoke a pound of catnip, you feline fucker, you!_

"You two serve the Princess?" Jon queried and found himself quite impressed by their behavior. "Well, it is an honor indeed. You two are so loyal. Ha ha ha..." He chuckled and glanced at Sheriff. "The people back at home can learn a great deal from these girls. Wouldn't you say?"

"Yes siree!" The wolf hailed. "Without a shred of doubt."

"Well, my friends... I do certainly hope that my visit to this kingdom will be worthwhile." The prince prodded his jewelry littered fingers in delight. "I would wake Hiss here and let him behold such devoted servants but time is of the essence. We will be seeing one another once again won't we? Now if you two nice people will excuse us, we shall be on our way to a chalet of incomparable eminence. Ah ha..."

"Y'all heard the man," Sheriff commanded to the knights that were now gathering around the caravan. "It's time to get a move on. Onward!" The group of guards hoisted the Prince's caravan and resumed their search for a inn to stay in that's worthy of Jon's standards.

One Prince Jon and his minions were out of sight, Nao shrugged. "Ugh. That guy is so full of himself. He kind of reminds me of someone I know. Oh well..." Her eyes brightened and a smirk returned to her lips. "I hit his ass up though. I couldn't resist." She took out a bag of money that was hidden under her shirt. Quite the sly fox.

Aoi gazed at the younger woman in disbelief and sighed, "Nao..."

**MAI OTOME**

Meanwhile, back in that weird dimension nicknamed 'The Highway of Time' by Haruka herself, they stood before a citadel that leads to many moments in the Princess' past. Mashiro, admittedly, was slightly impressed that this was actually happening. Haruka stood behind the mortal with her arms crossed over her chest as she surveyed the massive structure before the both of them. Now that they thought about it, the palace looks a lot like WindBloom Castle. The Princess neared the palace in wonder.

"Nice crib. It looks like my castle." She mentioned. "What is this place? Time Compression or something?"

"Didn't I told you that we're actually going into your past?" Haruka said in a slightly irritated tone. "This is not my abode, I assure you. In this dimension between existence and oblivion this space is known as the Highway of Time."

The Princess frowned. "The Highway of Time?" She wondered, as if the name left a bitter taste in her mouth. "What kind of Kingdom Hearts bullshit name is that? That is one hell of a corny name."

"Quiet, you little tyrant!" Haruka sassed, blushing guiltily as the Princess mocked the very nickname she gave to this universe. "As I was saying, we are literally walking through the canals of time. For every mortal that exists and/or existed in the known universe, there is a palace in this one. Each palace is actually a homage to the past of the said individual. You see, that's where I come in. I specialize in traveling through history thanks to these sanctions."

The Princess noticed that the quirky spirit just made an error in her lingo. Didn't she mean to say sanctuaries? Oh well... she let it slide.

"Hmm..." There was a cute look of wonder on Mashiro's face. "Couldn't we just call this universe Memory Lane? I'm pretty sure that's what everyone else would call this place."

"Ah... you're hopeless..." the blonde sighed and pushed open the huge doors of the palace. She looked back at the Princess, whom was looking as adorably clueless as Erstin Ho on a good day. "Well? Are you coming in here or not?"

"Um... of course I am!" Mashiro retorted. "Don't get your drawers in a bunch across that big bum of yours, Blondie."

"Hey! I am not big in the bum!" Haruka snapped but she couldn't help but take a glance at her posterior. Maybe Yukino was right about that after all... When it all comes down to it, her bum was always a sensitive subject... whether she's a mortal or spirit.

"If you butt isn't big then-- fuck it, it's a snowy day in hell." Mashiro rolled her eyes. "Or it could be worse... the Hulk got the gout or... that damn Aquaman drowned in a damn swimming pool."

Haruka scowled, ignoring the subject of her lovely derriere completely. "You just hurry up and come inside already! You got a lamenting section to do!"

Strangely enough, the Princess pulled a Yukino on her. "It's session, not section, you mispronouncing spook, you."

"ARGH!" Haruka wanted to pull her hair out of her head. "My friend does that! And it get on my nerves every time! Ooh, you're just as rude as that raven-haired delinquent back in your world!"

"So much for being a spirit..." Mashiro stared at the agitated apparition in marvel. "There's just as much anguish going on with you guys as it is back in the living." She hesitantly entered the citadel and was astonished even more by the sights inside the place. The surface of the floor was superb! It was probably made of the finest marble or perhaps some unknown materials that only existed in this dimension. The many staircases she saw seems to be made of fine diamonds and aesthetic crystals. The Princess gaped in awe. Not even the finest jewels of the living world couldn't touch these bad mother-- "Goodness gracious! Did I just died and gone to heaven?"

"I dunno..." Haruka commented with a very... dubious tone. "Heaven for you is probably the least possibly outcome for you when the judgment comes."

The Princess stared on, her eyes glazed over a bit. "I think I want to stay here..." Haruka grasped her hand as if she was guiding a child. "What are you doing?"

"Come," Haruka's voice was solemn and it didn't have the usual fastidious tone to it. "You know what we must do. Follow me and you may learn of what the implication of your actions in the past may affect your future. Have you ever thought of how grim the future of your kingdom may look?"

A frown appeared. "Don't you dare judge me, spirit. You just do your job." There was a touch of malice in her speech that it actually frightened Haruka. "Unless you can actually travel to the future as well, I suggest that the welfare of my kingdom isn't any of your concern."

Surprise etched the blonde's features. And what's is even more frightening, she realized that she was humbled by the Princess' sudden hostility. "To travel into the future... I'm afraid that I cannot do."

"Fine. Now show me the grave implications of my actions in the days gone by." Mashiro demanded sarcastically, once again being a tiny tyrant.

Haruka pointed to the end of the marbled studded den and a door appeared. On the door, there was an ethereal visage of a much younger Mashiro as a display. "Right this way."

**MAI OTOME**

"Hey barkeep, gimme another shot of that cherry rum would cha?" The billowy weed smoke inside the tavern alone was enough to make her high and yet she had already downed ten shots of the said beverage. "You gotta make this one tough, barkeep. I'm wallowing here."

The aged dreadlocks headed man eyed the pretty tomboy in pardon. "C'mon Chie, you know that's a little too much for you. What would happen if you get too smashed, girl? I'm not going to be responsible for anything that may happen afterwards."

Chie laughed, her sexy voice ranging through the thick smoke of the bar. "Oh don't worry about me. I'm good at holding my drinks." She cackled and lit up a joint and puffed it. "I'm more alcohol tolerant than a hesitant obese man on a faulty diet."

The dark skinned man sighed. "Alright Chie, I'll give you one more shot and that's gonna be it for you. If you get too fucked up then that means some fella in here is going to be one lucky bastard. Hell, and that bastard might be me."

Chie grinned at the insinuation. "So you're feeling lucky, old man?"

"You just keep on drinking and see what happens." He warned, washing a shot glass.

"Pff! Don't kid yourself, friend." Chie clicked her tongue. "Barkeep, you are old enough to be my father."

The barkeeper had a comeback. "I may be old but my dick wouldn't think so." He joked.

"Yeah," Chie scoffed. "When it's deluded on some of that male enhancement bull crap."

"Shit... touche." The barkeeper handed her the glass of rum. "Just be careful, Chie."

"I'm a big girl, Keep." The foxy brunette reassured. "You know how it goes." She took another drag and sipped on the eleventh shot of rum. "Heck, I'm plenty messed up anyway. But I trust you to take care of me if I can't make it home... daddy." An all too devilish grin of innuendo graced her lips.

"Don't play..." The man couldn't do nothing but nod his head.

"Ah, there you are, Chie-chan!" A girlish voice sang through the hazy atmosphere of the tavern. There was Aoi, dressed in civilian clothes; a stylish cerulean sleeveless shirt with a hood and semi-tight black breeches. Nao was with her, wearing a long sleeved blouse and a ostentatious miniskirt. Damn, that redhead was on the prowl again. What unlucky pervert is going to get it this time? "Whoa, you've been drinking without us, girl." Aoi chastised, counting the glasses on the bar before her.

"Humph. I guess it's just one of those kinds of nights." Chie remarked sardonically. Her gaze slowly wavered towards Nao, whom was analyzing the entire tavern for big money losers. "Why, howdy to you too, whore."

Unperturbed, Nao said, "What's happening, bitch?"

The grin on Chie's face widened. "I can't call it. You tell me." She noticed the many stares that the younger woman was garnering. "Just don't hurt the next victim of yours too much. Okay?"

Nao couldn't help but laugh. "Only if they're asking for it." She sat on a barstool next to Chie and snatch the joint from her fingers and began cheifing on it. "Darn, you're smoking this weak stuff again, Chie? I thought that you were past this stage."

Chie only shrugged. "Well, you know-- shit happens..." That was followed by a forced giggle and her lifelong friend, Aoi, could sense the distress behind it. "I'm so glad that you guys came here. I'm so messed up now that I'm sure that any guy in here would want to purloin me in this time of night."

Nao coughed. "Ta-- take it like... a woman then."

"Hmm... I've taken a lot of bullshit in my life but rape will not be on the list." Chie remarked. She softly laid her head down on the bar. "Nope, I absolutely refuse to be a victim."

"Chie, how was your stay back home?" Aoi queried with concern in her soft voice. She situated herself to the seat to Chie's right. She knew... she just knew that Chie encountered problems while she was there. "Is your mother doing fine? Was the weather bad?"

Chie lifted her head off the bar abruptly. "Girl, it was the same as usual. It was so hot down there I've though I saw the devil sitting back and relaxing at my mother's house. And he was drinking a big ass bottle of Tabasco sauce while eating a big bag of ripe jalapeno peppers. No worries though. I spent a lot of time at the beach. You've should have seen me. Whoever said that bras and panties were indecent must have been the biggest hypocrite that ever lived."

"You saw the devil, huh?" Nao said rather casually. "You know what you need to do then."

Aoi was glad that it was kind of dark inside the tavern. Otherwise, Chie would have been saw the blush on her face. Chie looked simply amazing in a bikini. She has never seen a more gorgeous beach body. "Umm... so I guess that means that the weather was great."

"Umm-hmm, so great that I wore a two piece that damn near look like dental floss across my body." Chie stated blatantly.

Nao did a false gesture of vomiting. "Yeah, good for you. I think I'm going to be sick." She grinned.

"Screw you." Chie retorted.

_Damn, and I missed all of that eye-candy,_ Aoi thought darkly. But anyway... "So... how's the family? I know it's been a while since you last seen them."

There was a distant look in Chie's hazel eyes. "Oh... my family... They're going to be just fine." And there she goes with the forced laughter again.

_Oh my god... it's worse than I thought, _Aoi's mind said. "Tell me a little about your visit, Chie-chan? Did you spend some worthwhile quality time with them?" The baby-faced girl leaned on the bar and studied Chie's gestures and emotions very intently. Something went wrong while she was down there and Aoi was determined to find out what it was. The distress resonating from the older woman was astounding.

"Oh god, Aoi, why did you have to ask me that?" Chie was cracking now. "You know how they are. My mother and father are too old-fashioned for their own good." Aha! So the problems lies in her parents. "I've already told you that they're just fine."

"Oh shit! Lifetime!" Nao noticed the tension between Aoi and Chie and called the bartender over. "Hey there, could you get me a Blue Melancholy? An angst session is about to go down."

"Alright." The barkeeper told Nao. "You're on the hunt again, aren't you?"

"You better believe it." Nao assured with a wink.

"Chie, my parents are older than yours and we both know that none of them is that old-fashioned." The demand in Aoi's voice was strong. "Why are you lying to me?"

"You might as well let it all out, Chie." Nao said as she was received her drink from the keeper. "This seems way too entertaining to pass up."

"I told you my parents are going to be alright, Aoi." Chie replied. "It's nothing worth worrying about."

"Chie Hallard, you are a liar and you are going to spend an eternity in hell if you do so insist on your deceptive ways!" Aoi exclaimed and found herself surprised that she was suddenly upset over something that was overly trivial. She looked at the stunned expressions of damn near everyone in the bar. "Uh... don't mind us, please."

Nao, quite astonished, told Aoi. "Wow Aoi, you _have_ been studying a great deal with Sister." And here she thought that Aoi only regards her deity when she was admiring eye candy in magazines a little too hard. Hard... _Ha ha ha ha ha!_

"I think it's time for me to leave..." Chie stated and slid off her stool. Aoi suddenly reached out and grasped Chie's hand and with an unconquerable grip. Chie registered shock and pivoted a glare towards the younger woman and tried to break free. "You let go of me, Aoi!" Chie demanded, the alto in her voice gone out the window. "This isn't even called for!"

Aoi's knuckles were white and enlarged in obduracy. "No Chie, you're going to tell me what's going on in your life." The fierceness about the usually cute maid was nigh frightening. "I've never known you to be the type of person that would let anger well up inside of you like this. You are obviously hurting yourself, Chie, and you will never be at peace if you don't resolve this issue."

"So you really want to know, Aoi?" Chie took on an atypical downcast expression. "Would you really like to fucking know what's eating me inside?"

Aoi nodded and her features softened. She released the older girl's hand. "I've been your friend for a very long time, Chie. You know what you must do."

"I'm engaged, Aoi." Chie revealed at last.

**DUN DUN DUN!!**

Warm liquor sprayed from Nao's mouth like an Uzi. "Whoa!"

_Horrible... this is horrible news! _The maid's mind raged. There were many distraught thoughts going through her head behind the otherwise blank expression of hers. "You're... you're betrothed? Are you really?"

"Yes I am. You're happy now?" Chie looked sharply in the shorter woman's eyes. "That's right. As I was visiting my parents... they told me everything. I'm fixed with this wealthy pretty boy that is so arrogant and bishonen that he thinks that he is even more alluring than a female. He's so uppity about himself that he makes me want to puke and he's so small that even I can beat him in a fair fight."

_You don't have it that bad, _Nao thought sinisterly. _He's rich._

Aoi instantly regretted that she demanded these answers. "Chie... I'm sorry to hear that."

"He's way too feminine..." Chie sniffed-- did she now? "Someone needs to let the cat out of the bag on his ass though. He's butt-ugly. He's so damn ugly that God knows that his mother should had stuck to plan A and given his father some head instead."

Nao snorted and damn near choked on her drink. "Argh-- damn that's an ugly dude."

"And what's worse-- this fool thinks that I'm in love with him." Chie spat with vehemence. "Damn it all! Men are so stupid!" She earned indignant glares with the last line but she didn't gave a damn. "Most of them think that we're suppose to fall out and straight fall in love with them just because they got a little cash in their pockets. Ugh! I can fill a dictionary with how conceited men are!"

"Ooh, well spoken, Chie." Nao lauded.

"They're so absurd that it's not even funny," Chie raged on. "There needs to be a great mirror just to show how senseless the 'stronger sex' really are."

"Amen." Nao bobbed her head as though she was in an actual congregation.

"Oh my goodness gracious, Chie..." Aoi sympathized, sounding decidedly like an old woman. "C'mon, I think it's time for us to leave." She cradled Chie's head on her shoulder. "At an emotional moment like this, I think it's inappropriate in a place like this."

"Hey, let me finish this drink, Aoi." Nao protested immediately and downed her drink as fast as she can. "Okay. I'm ready. Even though our friend here kinda ruined the night, rest assured I am not mad at her. Chie here just taught me something valuable this evening."

A bead of sweat appeared on Aoi's temple. "Just c'mon, Nao."

**MAI OTOME**

"Wow!" Mashiro squealed like a kid at Disney World. "That was so awesome!"

Haruka followed the much smaller girl out of the door, nodding in annoyance in order to save her sanity. What they saw beyond that door was not Mashiro's past. It was an abomination. That experience really didn't happened. So... what the hell was it then?

An alternate reality, asshole.

"Man, was I kick-ass!?" Mashiro did a few high kicks followed by a leaping move that suspiciously looks like the _Shoryuken_. "Whoever the hell it was that faced me didn't even stand a chance." A peculiar look invaded her face however. "But there was something I just don't understand... Why was I crying?"

Haruka thought about the girl's query, even though she tried her best to ignore what they've just experienced. Apparently, in that universe that grape hair girl has the power to manipulate fire. She had wield so much flames that she seemed to be abusing her powers. And what was even weirder was that fact that she summoned a leviathan creature that can emit fire at a nuclear scale.

"I wish I haven't seen any of that," Haruka muttered. "That was a mistake on my part. What we just saw was a vision of an alternate past. To put it simply: a parallel dimension to your world."

"But still, that was cool as heck! I called out that big dragon-- whale... err, phoenix thingy. What was it's name?"

She was referring to Kagutsuchi. "I don't know." Haruka shrugged. "Maybe we should try another door."

"That's fine with me," Mashiro agreed and sprinted up a flight of diamond studded stairs. "Let's try this one." She pointed to a door that had a vision of herself with a smug, if not, content expression about her. "This one looks promising."

Haruka rolled her eyes and hope that it wasn't another loony vision of an alternate world. "Coming..."

Boy was she in for a surprise.

The Princess' eyes were wide in fascination. "Wow!"

After they both went through the door they found themselves on a foggy port near an ocean on the outskirts on some bustling city. It was midnight and the warehouse before them did not look at all inviting. Haruka's mouth fell to the floor. She knew it. This was another alternate past of Mashiro. Speaking of the Princess, the little joker was compelled to approach the foreboding warehouse. Damn, she was acting like a child high off sugar. "No you don't! You come back here right this instant!" Haruka demanded.

"Aren't we going to at least check this place out?" Mashiro replied as she neared a window.

"Nah-uh, you very well know that this is not part of your past." Haruka crossed her arms over her chest agitatedly. "So let's save time and get out of here."

"Aw, but I wanna see what's going on." Mashiro whined. "You know nobody can see us so why are you so worried?"

"That has nothing to do with it! C'mon!" Haruka trotted over and tried her best to retrieve the Princess. The tirade between the duo now looks like a quarrel between a mother and child. "Stop being so stubborn, girl!"

"No! I don't wanna!" Mashiro screeched, grasping a nearby lamppost.

"Let go, you ill-behaved daughter of a bastard!" Haruka cursed as she struggled to pry Mashiro free off the post. Then... something very interesting inside the warehouse caught her eye. "Oh my goodness..."

Haruka's grip on the Princess' legs went slack and the grape head met the ground with a soft thud. She hastily gathered herself off the floor and gazed in the window in anticipation. "What is it?"

Haruka only looked on with her finger pointing. She looked like she was doing a bad impersonation of a frightened Hanna Barbara or Warner Bros. Looney Tunes character. "Th-- duh... duh-- duh--duh!"

Mashiro looked on. "Ooh..."

Inside the place there were five people. They were all tied and bound to a chair each. Realizing this, Haruka and Mashiro both knew that this was going to be some sort of arcane execution by shadowy means. Two of the will be victims were women. To be more specific, it was Akane and Midori. The three gentlemen were Kazuya-- Akane's boyfriend, a guy that looks strikingly similar to Orlando Bloom, and a black guy that looked a little too much like Jamie Foxx. And all five of them had a look of defeat and pure hopelessness on their faces.

"Damn. These guys are about to get it." Mashiro whispered.

"This is about to get ugly." Haruka followed.

"Uh-oh! Someone's coming."

A far more imposing Fumi walked into the scene with gats in her hands and murder in her eyes. The pink haired killer was dressed in military fatigues. Another woman appeared as well: platinum haired, red eyed and emotionless, Miyu was carrying a katana. This version of the femme fatale was dressed in all black; a black skull cap, a darkness of a turtleneck sweater and a sinister pair of slacks of darkest night. Knowing those two, it didn't look good for the five captives, indeed.

The silent killers stood aside as a small, but malicious voice filled the room. "Ah, are you bitches ready for that one way trip to hell?"

The Akane of this world was terrified. "N--no!"

"Too bad, toots," a small figured appeared at last-- obviously the mastermind. "That's what you get when you get on my bad side." Flipping a silver dollar and dressed in a purple pinstriped suit along with a neat brimmed hat on the top of her head, Mashiro was a true example of a mobster. "Do any of you shit bags have anything to say about that?"

"Hey, technically, I didn't get on your bad side, baby-girl." The charismatic Jamie Foxx doppelganger humored, despite his very grim fate. "I didn't know shit about you until the FBI informed me about your criminal history."

Mashiro glared at the smart-ass. "You shut up!" She spat. "You're a damn cop. That automatically puts you on my bad side." She took a second to admire his physical build with pleasure. "With your fine ass... You should have kept your vice back in Miami."

"Well shit-- if I would have known that fact then I wouldn't have ever pursued a career in criminal investigations." The striking dark-skinned man said with regret. "Damn man... just my fucking luck and what a way to go. Killed by a grape headed gangster that was probably my secret admirer."

Mashiro only laughed. "Yeah, and you tell the devil that I said 'hi'." She pulled out a .38 and...

**BLAM!**

"AAAAIIIIEEEE!!!" Akane screeched, she never could stand the sight of blood or a dead body.

"Stop screaming, bitch!" Mashiro hissed and the older girl did so.

The tiny mobster approached the dashing Orlando Bloom dead ringer. "Ooh, and what do we have here?" She cooed as she studied his features. "Damn you're sexy but I assume that you're affiliated with my... _former _subordinate here." She pointed towards a sheepishly giggling Midori. "That would mean that you messed around with the wrong woman, chum."

"I cruel fate that I welcomed," the charming fellow said. His resolve was unmatched... as always.

"Ah... he's my boyfriend." Midori managed to say. "Isn't he cute though?"

Mashiro whipped her gaze at the curvaceous redhead. "Yes he is. He's quite a catch. I'm getting hot just by looking at him. And to be honest you should have took him and ran with him to the Caribbean and live out your _honest _life."

Somehow, hope returned to Midori. "Does that mean that you'll let us go then?" She chirped. "That does sounds like a good proposal."

"To you, it does..." Mashiro droned. "However to me..." She gave Miyu a nod and the platinum haired titan was behind the handsome sheik with her katana at his throat. "Off him, Miyu."

**SLIT!**

"Tampa!" Midori screamed.

Akane was now shaking like she's having a seizure. "Holy father in heaven..."

"Didn't I tell you to shut up already!" Mashiro roared... then a frown appeared and she once again regarded Midori. Miyu and Fumi had similar looks about them as well. "Hey... What the hell kind of a name is Tampa for a man?" She wondered.

All she got was a dark chuckle from Midori. "What does it matter now? I was going to be known as Midori Suguira Flourish and live happily ever after. You've destroyed my dream..."

The tiny terror arched a brow. "Midori, where are you going with this? So I killed two beautiful men..."

"You want to know?" Midori glared at the gangster with a very manic expression. "Then I'll be glad to tell you!" Somehow she managed to free herself from her bound because she hopped from her chair and successfully snatched the katana from Miyu's grasp. The three killers were too stunned by the incident. Then, in true fashion that would make the late Red Foxx proud, the redhead gazed at the ceiling. "Tampa Flourish, I'm coming to join you, baby!"

Then she plunged the blade right through her heart. She fell to the floor in a bloody mess... right along with a cool-sounding thud.

Hara-kiri, bitch.

"Good god! That's suicide!" An even more horrified Akane hollered.

Well damn. "I guess that's less work then," Mashiro muttered. "Alright then, now to resume this game... Hey-- what the!" A small (and peculiar) golden bird flew into the warehouse somehow. A certain platinum haired vixen began to show a little emotion as a smile graced her lips. "What the hell? Why do I keep seeing this freaking bird from time to time? And why would this shit-dipper be flying around this time of night?"

Miyu gasped and starts to fear for the worse. "Boss..."

"Oh well... I got something for it's ass." Mashiro aimed at the bird and...

**BLAW!**

"**ARRGGHKK!"** The bird went poof into a cloud of smoke and feathers.

A smirk of pure satisfaction graced her lips and she blew the smoke off the pistol. "Take that. Ha ha... I do wonder if there is a heaven for a bird. Although I doubt it, as much freedom they have in the skies during their lifetime." She hear a sniffing sound from Miyu. Genuine concern on her face, Mashiro addressed her. "Are you alright, Miyu?"

The enigmatic killer had tears glistening in her eyes. "I... I think... I think I got a cold." She sniffed.

Mashiro nodded in understanding. "Oh yeah? You got it too? It must be the bug going around. Say, I'll give you some time off. Why won't you go home and take care of that? With the right kind of treatment you can kill the bug in three days. Oh, and don't forget to eat some oranges and drink plenty of clear fluids."

Miyu rubbed her eyes. "Thank you, Boss."

"Oh, and throw this bird in the dumpster outside will ya," Mashiro continued, genuinely upsetting Miyu. "I'm feeling generous enough to give the little turd a proper burial."

"Yes Boss." Miyu hastily pried the bird from the floor and ran out the room.

"That Miyu is so loyal to me." Mashiro stated with enormous pride in her voice. "I don't know what I do without her. Nor my friend Fumi here."

Outside, someone was bawling. "Uh-huh-huh-huh-huh-huuuuuhhh!!"

"Damn... some woman's out there is unfortunate enough to stand in Miyu's way." Mashiro shrugged. "And now for the lawfully wedded couple that tried to thwart my schemes." She approached Akane and Kazuya. "Now, how should I off you guys?" Her stomach suddenly rumbled and an all too terrifying and insidious smile grazed her face. "Hey... I got just the thing. I had Mexican food for dinner."

"Oh no!" This time it was Kazu that cried.

Mashiro snapped a command to her pink haired aide. "Fumi, get me the flamethrower."

"Right, Boss!" She saluted and ran off to get the said hazardous device.

Akane was morbidly curious as to how she was going to leave this world. "What are you going to do to us, you sick woman?"

Mashiro grunted. "Ugh-- it's coming. I'm going to give you two a lovely sample of the smells and sensations of hell. Isn't that grand?"

"You-- you blackguard!" Akane hissed. "You're the one that's going to end up in hell!"

"Is that so?" Mashiro rose a brow as Fumi returned with the flamethrower. "Well, I guess the devil needs a right hand. Heck, if someone like Attila the Hun or Adolph Hitler couldn't get that position then I guess I'm openly eligible." She removed her pinstripped pants and, funny enough, the little gangster was wearing a cute pair of AlgaeJoe Sphere-Breeches underwear. Fumi ignited the flamethrower, awaiting her boss' next command. "Ooh boy! Here comes the fart."

"NOOOOO!" Akane and Kazu both shrieked to their impending doom.

Of the two visitors that were witnessing this from outside, Haruka exclaimed, "I've seen enough!"

"What do you mean?" _Princess _Mashiro asked the spirit in bemusement. "I like my style in this world. Don't you see how gangster I am in there? Make em say 'ughhh!'"

"That... monster has no regards to any walks of life whatsoever!" Haruka snarled in contempt.

"Hey!" Mashiro retorted, clearly affronted. "I am not a monster!"

"Not you!" Haruka shot back, pointing inside the warehouse. "I meant the _you _in there! Ugh-- whatever, let's just get out of here!" She snatched the Princess with one hand and did a karate chop motion with her other that created a small rip in the universe. She tossed the Princess in the portal and she followed, being careful not to let anyone see a giant zipper closing itself up.

They were back at the citadel of Mashiro's past. "I guess that was another mistake on your part." Said the Princess with an impish smile.

Haruka sighed, she really wondered if bringing this little imbecile with a little too much power in her hands here was worth it. "Let's keep trying..."

**MAI OTOME**

A few hours and many alternate worlds later, Haruka was seriously contemplating on giving up on the conceited Princess. In all those alternate worlds she had seen many things. Many disturbing thing... In one of those different realities Mashiro was actually a man that tried to end escalating tension betweens neighboring nations. But... 'Manshiro' was so... girly. In another reality Mashiro was a tall, voluptuous and a very adult prostitute that was infamous among businessmen known as the 'Crystal Princess'. Haruka shuddered... she had never seen such long legs in her life _and _afterlife.

Perhaps the most disturbing of all of the alternate realities was the one with Mashiro being a very mad and very bad sorceress. She was openly feared by civilians and political figures alike. The little girl may looked as exactly adorable as Princess Mashiro, but this little bitch was so immensely versed in arcane and mystical lore that it didn't even make any sense. Sorceress Mashiro was so insidious that she was able to salvage a machine straight out of the depths of hell itself. The said machine was capable of destroying every star in the universe. It was a weapon originally crafted by the devil himself just to show existence that he wasn't playing. Fortunately, he scrapped the idea... for he needed life in the universe.

Unfortunately, Sorceress Mashiro had the wicked weapon in her possession and Haruka fervently prayed that the sorceress never did get to use it. Still a little shaken up by that reality, the spirit was just about to give up until...

...they finally reached the appropriate past at last.

"Hey, I remember this ," Mashiro said to Haruka, recognizing the events at length.

"Good," Haruka nodded. "Heaven knows that it's about time."

_Moment In History: Malevolent Tenth_

"Happy Birthday, Mashiro!"

The ten year old Princess gazed at her many gifts with a bored expression. Whatever... there were books, civilian clothing, sports equipment, a GamePost 4, and another gaming console called Wie (why) which the controller is made in the shape of a shoe and you can put it on either foot. The birthday girl looked way too blase at the end of the royal table. Queen Tamura noticed this and addressed her daughter with concern. "Mashiro, are you okay over there?"

"Not exactly," the spoiled brat droned. She saw Mai and Akane coming from the kitchen with her birthday cake. "I want something cool. I want ta-tas like Mai's" She pointed to the ginger haired chef.

Tamura gasped. "Mashiro! Don't be ridiculous!" She looked over at the girl of the subject. "Mai has... special genes in her blood." And to be honest, the Queen thought that Mai was actually quite blessed. She had those things since she was eleven.

The said girl blushed in discomfiture. "Princess... you can't just get..." she hesitantly gazed down at her bosom, "these."

"That's what's pissing me off!" Mashiro spat. "I don't want any fake ones!"

"Grandma used to tell me that you shouldn't envy anyone else because of their assets or what they got." A younger Arika chirped.

"Fuck your grandma!" Mashiro cussed.

"Watch your tongue little missy..." Tamura warned.

"Uh, would you like to play ball Your Highness?" Nao asked her in an unusual plesant voice. Even in her late teens the redhead was undeniably alluring.

"No! Go trick a pervert out of his money, tramp!" Mashiro gave Nao the middle finger.

Nao sighed, closed her eyes shut, and brought both her hands to her temples to message them. She chanted a mantra to retain her anger. "Ooh-saa... ooh-saa... ooh-saa..."

"Golly, sometimes it just doesn't pay to get out of bed." Erstin said with a nod.

"You're freaking right about that, you airhead!" The Princess tripped.

Erstin simply rose from her chair and left the room.

"Ara, ara..." Mashiro frowned at the sound of her sister's voice. "Here's another present from Yours Truly." Shizuru approached her sister and handed her a long rectangular present. "I'm sure that you will like it, sister. It's very stress relieving."

"Why, that's so sweet of you Shizuru-chan." Tamura praised. "You're always there to lighten your little sister's bad mood, aren't you?"

"Is that so?" Mashiro wondered and quickly opened her latest present with vigorous gusto. Once she saw what was in the box, a frown of disappointment etched her features. "A guitar, Shizuru? A freaking purple guitar?"

Shizuru was sipping on some heavenly green tea. "It's pretty nice, ne?" The beauty smiled.

"It certainly is, Shizuru." Tamura nodded in approval.

_Why you tea downing idiot, you! _"So you say that I can relieve a great amount of stress with this thing, Shizuru-chan?" Mashiro queried.

"Why yes you can, little sister." Shizuru replied in delight. "It's very high quality. It was crafted by the finest modelers in Aswad. So I elected to buy it for you."

Mashiro was patting the surface of the guitar. _Wow! It damn sure is high quality. It's rock solid. Maybe I can relieve stress with this thing,_ the Princess pondered. "Shizuru... I'm astounded. There is no words that I can possibly say to correctly express to you my gratitude."

"Hmm-hmm, your happiness is fair enough." Shizuru said, flattered.

The Princess rose from her chair and slowly trotted towards her big sister. "However, maybe I can show you just how thankful that I am." Her eyes suddenly widened as a manic expression appeared. She raised the instrument high in the air and pulled an El Ka-bong on Shizuru.

**WHAM!**

Everyone in the room gasped and Shizuru slid to the floor in an comatose heap.

"Thank you, Sister." Mashiro tossed the instrument on the table. "Damn that felt good. Shizuru gave me something useful for once."

"Mashiro...!" Queen Tamura growled threateningly.

Invisible to everyone in the room, Haruka gave the present Mashiro a seething glare. "Christ in a diesel truck-- _you are _bad!"

Mashiro was laughing. Ah, such good memories. "What can I say? That was one of my most memorable moments in my life."

There was no need to stay here any longer. Haruka could not identify a point of origin of Mashiro's animosity towards her mother and sister. It was time to search elsewhen. "Come, Princess. It's that time again."

_Moment In History: Wondrous Bombshell In The Royal Medium_

_or_

_The Last Of Fumi's Lovable Smiles_

"Ah. I'm all packed and ready to journey down to Artai." Queen Tamura announce as she left her royal quarters. Servants Chie Hallard and Fumi was helping her out with a few of her personal effects. "You guys are so sweet. Are you sure that you can handle the heavy luggage."

"No problem, Majesty." Chie assured as she carried some of the baggae without much struggle. "Somehow my body was built for a task like this."

"No worries, Tamura-sama." Fumi chirruped with her cute voice.

"Thank you, my friends." She lead them through the royal halls. Despite carrying the heaviest gear, the Queen moved the quickest. "I'm going to miss all of you guys. I'm going to be in Artai for a few weeks. I just pray that they're aren't up to anything rash over there."

Outside on the castle's terrace, a limo was awaiting the Queen. Lilie Adean was sitting on the bottom step and our beloved Princess was darkly chuckling to herself. Lilie stared at the young heir as though she was losing her mind. And frankly, maybe Lilie was right. Knowing the Princess, something mischievous was about to happen. That is for damn sure.

"What has you in such a state of mirth, Princess?" The six footer asked the younger girl.

The unusual serene expression on the twelve year old ruler spoke volumes of malevolence and it certainly frightened Sayuri-- I mean, Lilie. "Oh nothing. I just think that it is such a beautiful day today. Don't you agree, Lilie-chan?"

_Oh shit..._ the tall brunette dreaded. "Snow is on the horizon, Your Highness."

The smile on the Princess face lengthened and rather than looking cute, the Princess looked beautiful. And I don't mean just plain ol' ordinary beautiful-- I mean Shizuru Viola type beautiful. As a matter of fact, she does look like a miniature version of the said woman except for the fact that their hair and eyes are not of the same color. "I know." She simply stated.

_I knew it. She's up to something! _That brain of Lilie screamed. "Yes. Snow is beautiful to me as well. I never get tired of being fascinated by it."

"Yes, the world is truly full of wonder, Lilie-chan." Mashiro replied, sounding as cute as the famous voice actress, Yukana. "Yes indeed, it is..."

_I should warn the Queen! _The said woman appeared just in the nick of time. "Oh! You're ready, Tamura-sama."

"That I am, Lilie-chan." Tamura stated, eager to get this trip over with and to return to her kingdom. "Chie, Fumi, go on ahead and load all of my effects in the back of the limo."

"Will do." Chie descended the steps and approached the limo. Once she opened the door and saw what was inside, the usually coolheaded woman screeched in horror. "YAAAAAHHHH!" She dropped the luggage and slammed the door, leaning on it while sweating profusely.

Tamura, Lilie and Fumi stared in confusion at the frightened girl. They never would have dreamed that Chie could release such a strident and high-pitched scream. "What is it, Chie-chan?" Tamura inquired with worry towards the woman that was like a daughter to her.

"Sno-- sn... snow..." Chie stammered frightfully. In a risky move, she lightening quickly opened the door again for the others to see what was scaring the hell out of her.

"**RRRAAAAWWWGGH!"**

"A cougar!" Chie screamed. "There's a goddamn snow cougar in the limo!"

_Damn... could this be... _Lilie glances toward the innocent looking Princess whom was humming a graveyard tune to herself. "Did you saw the beast, Princess?"

"Huh?" The Princess gazed up at the tallest female with mock shock. "I didn't even know the beast was there."

"Oh, good heavens!" Tamura cried. "We have to do something about him without actually doing any harm." Chie suddenly ran towards her and jumped in her arms. Now the Queen was cradling a full grown woman. "Ah! Chie-chan!?"

"Do something, Your Majesty!" Chie exclaimed.

"I'm afraid I don't know what to do..." The Queen admitted. She gave Lilie a hopeful look.

"Don't look at me!" The mocha haired Amazon exclaimed in fear.

"Ahh, I can be of help." Fumi piped up at last.

All of them, even Mashiro, stared at the pink haired maid. "You can?"

"Yep, I'm quite adept when it comes to handling the sudden appearance of a wild animal." Fumi assured. "You guys just sit back and watch."

"Okay then... just do your thing." Chie urged, still in the Queen's arms.

"Here kitty-kitty-kitty..." Fumi sang as she neared the limo. She slowly opened the door and gestured the beast to come out. "C'mon now, kitty. You know that it's not nice to sit in here and scare the beejebus out of us." She fished out a giant slice of ham from her pocket. "Umm... look what I got for ya. That's right-- this is a big juicy piece of morsel."

"**RRAAAWWRGH!"**

"Aw c'mon, don't be like that, little kitty." She giggled and miraculously, the beast got out of the car. Even more astounding was the fact that the cougar was humble now. It purred around the maid's legs as though it was a gigantic housecat. "That's a good sweet kitty. Follow me, little guy." Mashiro lead the beast several yards away from the super car and tossed the piece of ham with Herculean strength. The cougar roared and it pursued the amazing red meat that was soaring over the horizon. The maid glanced back and the stunned expression of the women on the terrace and dusted her hands. "You see. Problem solved."

They all heaved a sigh of relief, sans Mashiro who grunted a curse word.

"Now... where were we?" Just as the maid was about to return to her duties, a large paw jutted out of the bushes and snatched Fumi off her feet. To the horror of the Queen, Lilie and Chie (and to Mashiro's amusement) the sounds of flesh being ripped apart and eaten resounded through the air. Now, just to let everyone know, I love Fumi. A very beautiful and honorable woman, she is. But be damned if that cougar didn't have her ass for a snack.

"Lilie, to the limo and step on it!" Tamura commanded, dropping Chie and practically leaping in the backseat of the limo.

"Yes ma'am! Wait for me!" Lilie sprinted way to the driver's seat and started the car.

Chie began to cry...

... and the skies resonated with Mashiro's reverberating cruel laughter.

There was a funeral service dedicated to Fumi days later in which cut the Queen's visit in Artai short. It was definitely a unfortunate event. It was a closed-casket service. Even though the Princess didn't get who she wanted eaten, she was strangely satisfied. May the world's greatest maid rest in peace... Will she ever forgive Mashiro?

"I remember that," Mashiro said. "That was three years ago."

Haruka could only stare at the Princess in horror. "You're such a horrible little cretin, you know that!?" She lead the Princess back to the den of the mystic bastion. "How can someone so adorable be so damn evil!? Where did all of it come from, Princess!?"

Mashiro feigned innocence. "Hmm... I don't know."

Haruka gave a threatening glare to the Princess. "Ooh! I am purely determined to find out!" Then a sudden tremor invaded the sanctuary and both of them were now on alert. "What was that?"

The Princess nodded in uncertainty and out of the blue, a melodious voice bellowed, "Get out! You have no place here!" And the palace grew dark. It was a familiar and looming darkness.

Haruka took on a stance and held the Princess behind her. "Stay close to me, Princess!" Haruka cautioned as she sensed the familiar presence. "Damn it. Whatever this thing is, it was at the castle earlier. To be pacific, it was in your mother's room."

She was supposed to say specific, but Mashiro didn't have the gall to correct the blonde right now. The lurking darkness was proverbial to her as well. She saw a shadowy figure entering the castle and her eyes widened. "I... I know you."

_INSERT OMINOUS ORGAN MUSIC_

"Huh?" Haruka was surprised by the Princess' recognition of the shady fiend.

"Leave now." The shadow commanded. "You are impeding on everything!"

"Now way, Jose!" Haruka defied with a mask of determination. "You're behind it all! You're the reason that this young woman is so corrupted, demon!"

The evil enigma cackled. "Hmm... hmm... hmm... Mashiro?"

The frightened Princess regarded the demon right away. "Ye--yes?"

"Sleep." Deep lavender orbs began to glow behind the cowl. "Sleep, dear Princess. This isn't but a mere dream..."

"Goodnight..." The Princess' eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fell limp on the marble floor.

"Princess!" Haruka bellowed and cradled the tiny ruler in her arms. "You! Now I know that you are responsible for all of this girl's ill deeds." Haruka growled in a challenge. "If you're so bad and demonic then try doing your worst to me!"

"Rest assured, Haruka..." the demon chuckled. "I can do bad all by myself. Girl, I'm the baddest daughter of a bastard on this side of the horns, goatee, and pitchfork. Don't you even dare to fathom that you can challenge me."

"Conceited devil!" The blonde tightened her free hand into a powerful fist. "Show me what you're made of! Show me if you got the guts to face me!"

"Very well..." The monster spoke and starts to unfastened the upper part of her robe of darkness. A gesture that confused Haruka. The Amazon counted on the demon to unleash something as evil as the Psycho Crusher or something of unbelievable insidious power as the Kaiser Wave. "Ha ha ha... you wanted to see just what I can do, right?"

The reality around Haruka began to ripple and she gritted her teeth as she felt herself being blown back by the demon's esoteric power. "Urgh... what are you doing, you freak?" Haruka grunted.

"Don't interfere ever again, Haruka." The melodious voice warned. "Or I will see to it that I will drag you into the abyss."

"You don't frighten me, demon!" Haruka raged, only to discover that she was back inside WindBloom Castle. She was in Mashiro's bedchamber. Haruka gazed at the snoring girl in her arms. _That monster will not get away with this! Princess, I swear to you that I will shatter that scum's influence over you. _She laid the Princess on her bed and gazed at the ceiling. "Did you get any of that, Yukino?"

A screen with the image of the said girl appeared. "Yes Haruka-chan. I got all of it."

"Good news, then. I'm returning at once." Sunrise was in another hour or so. She could tell be the faint light over the horizon. _Damn. Something's must be done about that freak or else this kingdom wouldn't be seeing many more of these._

Haruka gave the Princess one last look for the night and vanished.

**MAI OTOME**

Back at the cabin on the outskirts of town, everyone inside the place was sleeping. The only people that was still awake were Yukino, whom was monitoring Diana, and Nina whom was drinking out of a mug of hot coffe. "Oh boy. What an ordeal that was." Haruka sighed.

"Yes it was, Haruka-chan." Yukino sighed as well. "And it was terrifying too."

"Uh-huh..." Nina grunted over her mug of coffee.

The most comedic display in the cabin was Natsuki and Shizuru sleeping on the floor. The chestnut haired woman had her head propped on the gypsy's butt as if it was a very comfortable pillow. "Ara..." she snored. "So soft..."

"Is see that everyone here is sleeping well." She skew her view towards Nina. "Girl, when is the next spirit is expected to arrive?"

Nina looked thoughtful for a moment. "Hmm... I'm not sure." A sudden rap on the door seemed to answer the inquiry. "I'll get it." The raven haired imp rose to her feet and went to the door to open it. Once the door was open, Nina eyes widened. "It's here..."

Before her was a man that was nigh six feet in height. He wore strange clothes made for constant traveling and they reeked of a masculine smell and rum. His face may appear unusual but he was a little on the handsome side. He wore a red bandana and his hear was a frizzled mess of careless dreadlocks. He sported a goatee as well. In fact, the beard of it was so long this it was in a double plait. From the looks of him, Nina guessed that he was a pirate. "Hello there, matey." He spoke at last. "Which one of you lasses summoned me?"

Nina pointed to herself. "Uh, that would be me, sir."

The pirate nodded in understanding. "Right. I was getting plenty tired of wandering aimlessly in purgatory. You've really done me a tremendous favor, dear." He reached for Nina's hand and kissed it. "The name's Sparrow. Captain Jack Sparrow. It's an honor."

Nina couldn't help but blush. This guy may be rough around the edges but damn was he charming. "Umm... likewise."

"Now I ask you a favor," Jack continued, pointing towards a ship hovering above the cabin. "I'm certain that the good people of this region would not appreciate seeing the sight of my ship up there. I wonder if you can discover the nearest imitation of the sea where I can dock the Pearl around these parts. Savvy?"

A smile appeared on Nina's lips. "I can be of help, mate."

**END OF CHAPTER 4**

**NEXT TIME:**

Haruka: "A pirate eh? Not too pleased to meet you..."

Jack: "A pleasure, love. Captain Jack Sparrow at your service."

Haruka: "I'm keeping my eye on you! I see to it that you shall not be up to any kind of buck... buck... buckle-nearing... antics whil--"

Yukino: "Buccaneering, Haruka-chan."

Haruka: "Damn it!"

Jack: "Appreciate it, love. I think I'm going to relish vacating here."

Nina: "Anyway, the next episode is "Festival! There's No Time Like The Present". Whew... there's going to be a heck of a lot of guests in the next chapter. What the heck? Why is Shizuru engaging Robin Hood in mortal combat? Oh well... tune in to find out.

Natsuki: (yawns) "Guys... did I miss anything?"

**NEXT EPISODE**

**MAI OTOME**

**THE HAUNTING OF PRINCESS WINDBLOOM**

**CHAPTER 5**

**FESTIVAL! THERE'S NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT**

_Note: I had origianlly planned on six visions of Mashiro's past in this chapter but I decided to scrap it. Too much work. This chapter already exceeds over ten thousand words. There was also a scene I put down that featured the Kingdom Hearts protagonists; Sora, Donald and Goofy. They were to battle Mashiro-- an ex-member of Organization XIII and more powerful than even Xehanort/Xemnas. She is the strongest servant of Ultimecia: the ruler of eternal darkness. Or perhaps our favorite grape head was Ultimecia herself. Hmm... maybe I'll dedicate all this extra crap in a special 'deeted scenes' chapter in the future. Oh well... back to the Wii._


End file.
